Chapter 21
The days that followed in the hospital were
filled with white walls, distant beeping
monitors, and unwanted visitors. I had hoped
that being stabbed–almost dying–would
earn me some quiet. Some peace.
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Let’s Divorce, My Husband
But no.
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Every day, without fail, Tania and Jackson
came. Sometimes with food, sometimes with
flowers, always with apologies. They’d sit on
the couch near the window and take turns
trying to make small talk, pretending that the
years of hurt could be patched up with a few
remorseful words and teary eyes.
Even Zane had joined them. My grandson.
Calling me Grandma like he hadn’t once told
me I was a bad person–like he hadn’t
screamed that I should die because “Aunt
Donna said so.”
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Let’s Divorce, My Husband
They were relentless, all three of them.
But me?
I was tired.
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Tired of pretending to be okay, tired of
carrying a heart stitched together by
betrayal, abandonment, and years of being
overlooked. I didn’t even acknowledge them. I
turned my face to the window and stared at
the sun when they spoke. Not to be cruel-
just to survive.
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Because I didn’t want to go back there again.
I had Mateo now. My father was by my side.
My company was back in my hands.
I didn’t need their apologies.
Or so I told myself.
The day before I was discharged, I decided to
take a short walk down the hallway,
stretching my legs a bit. The nurse had said it
would be good for me, and I wanted a
moment alone.
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Let’s Divorce, My Husband
As I stepped out of my room and into the
bright corridor, I saw him.
Zane.
He stood there, small and uncertain, gripping
a bouquet of daisies in his tiny hands. His eyes lit up when he saw me, and he took a
small step forward.
“Grandma,” he said softly, “I brought you
flowers…”
I didn’t say anything.
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I walked past him without a glance, willing
myself not to crumble. I thought that would
be the end of it, but then I heard the sound of
hurried footsteps behind me, a tiny gasp-
and then a thud.
He had slipped.
When I turned around, I saw him sprawled on
the floor, the daisies crushed beneath him,
and tears already pooling in his eyes.
He cried. Not the dramatic kind. The honest
kind.
Let’s Divorce, My Husband
The kind that reached deep into your chest
and tugged at places you thought were
already numb.
And I… sighed.
My heart may have been tired, bruised, and
worn thin, but I was still a mother. Still a
woman who once rocked Tania to sleep, who
kissed scraped knees and held her hand
through storms.
I couldn’t let a child–my grandchild–cry
alone.
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I bent down slowly, pain still fresh in my side,
and helped him up. He clung to me like a
frightened kitten.
“I’m sorry,” he sobbed, his little arms
wrapping around my waist. “I didn’t mean to
be bad. Aunt Donna said you didn’t love us.
But I know now she was wrong. Please don’t
be mad.”
I blinked fast, pushing down the burn in my
throat.
“It’s okay,” I whispered, brushing back his hair.
11:46 AM Tue 24 Jun
Let’s Divorce, My Husband
“It’s not your fault.”
Later that evening, Tania came to my room
alone.
She sat at the edge of the bed, fidgeting with
her hands. There was no arrogance in her
eyes now–just guilt.
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“I don’t expect you to forgive me,” she said
quietly. “But I want you to know… I’m sorry. For
believing her. For yelling at you. For not being
the daughter you deserved.”
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Let’s Divorce, My Husband
I looked at her for a long while.
“You were mine, Tania,” I murmured. “You
were my little girl. I gave up everything for
you. I trusted Donna to look after you, but… I never thought I’d be the one you’d forget.”
“I didn’t forget you,” she whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks. “I was just stupid. And angry. And… I believed lies because they
were easier than facing the truth.”
“I don’t know if I can forgive you,” I admitted.
“Not yet.”
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She nodded. “That’s okay. I’ll wait. I just
wanted you to know that I love you. And I’m
so sorry.”
She left with red eyes and a bowed head.
Jackson came in shortly after.
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He looked older than I remembered–grayer,
more tired. Life had not been kind to him
either, it seemed.
“Trina,” he began, “I know there’s nothing I
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can say that will erase the damage. But I want
you to know… I made a mistake. The biggest
of my life. I chose the wrong person. I
believed the wrong things. And I lost the best
thing that ever happened to me.”
I didn’t answer him right away.
“You didn’t just lose me, Jackson,” I said. “You
abandoned me. You let Donna turn our
daughter against me. And when I needed you
most… you weren’t there.”
He looked away, ashamed.
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Let’s Divorce, My Husband
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “And I want to fix
this. I don’t expect anything, but if there’s a
chance… someday…”
“I’m not ready to give you that,” I said. “Not
now.”
I
And then I turned away.
The next day, I was discharged.
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Mateo insisted on picking me up himself. And
I could tell from the way he dressed and the
way he was acting that something was
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Let’s Divorce, My Husband
planned.
I didn’t expect a candlelit dinner waiting for
me at the penthouse.
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The dining room had been transformed into a
warm, glowing escape, filled with roses and
soft music. He led me in gently, one hand on
the small of my back.
“Mateo…” I began, but he silenced me with a
soft kiss to my forehead.
“I almost lost you,” he said, his voice
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trembling. “And I can’t waste another day.”
Then, he got down on one knee.
gasped.
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“Trina Devere,” he said, holding out the most
beautiful ring I’d ever seen, “will you marry me
and make sure I never have to live a day
without you again?”
Tears welled in my eyes as I nodded.
“Yes,” I whispered, smiling through the tears.
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Let’s Divorce, My Husband
“Yes.”
