Chapter 10 - THE DIVORCE HE THOUGHT I WOULD NEVER FILE
I filed for divorce the following week.
Julian called seventeen times.
I answered none of them.
He sent flowers.
Jewelry.
A handwritten letter.
Then he appeared outside my apartment.
I met him in the building's private conference room with Rebecca present.
Julian looked exhausted.
“Eleanor.”
I sat.
“What do you want to discuss?”
He stared.
“Our marriage.”
“Then you can speak with my attorney.”
He looked toward Rebecca.
“Can we have five minutes alone?”
I shook my head.
“No.”
His expression hardened.
“You can't keep shutting me out.”
I stared at him.
“That's an interesting complaint.”
He looked away.
Then lowered his voice.
“I made mistakes.”
I waited.
“Chloe and I… things got complicated.”
“You had another child.”
He swallowed.
“Yes.”
“You hid her for eight years.”
“I was afraid of losing you.”
I laughed softly.
“So you built another family?”
Julian's eyes filled.
“I never stopped loving you.”
I looked at him.
For a moment, I remembered the man I married.
The young architect with ambitious plans.
The husband who once brought me coffee while I worked late.
The father who cried when Theo was born.
I had loved that man.
But I couldn't keep pretending he still existed.
“Julian,” I said, “love without honesty is not enough.”
He lowered his head.
“What about Theo?”
My expression hardened.
“What about him?”
“I want to see my son.”
“Then you need to begin by listening to him.”
Julian looked confused.
“He's ten.”
“Yes.”
“He doesn't understand adult relationships.”
I leaned forward.
“He understands an empty chair.”
Julian went silent.
I continued.
“He understands broken promises. He understands being ignored while you celebrate another child.”
Tears filled Julian's eyes.
“I didn't mean to hurt him.”
“But you did.”
He covered his face.
I stood.
“We'll arrange appropriate parenting discussions through our attorneys.”
Julian looked up.
“Is there any chance you'll forgive me?”
I considered.
“Maybe someday.”
Hope flashed across his face.
Then I finished.
“But forgiveness wouldn't mean staying married.”
May you like
I walked out.
And this time, I didn't wait for him to follow.
