The shock hit before the pain. The burning liquid ran down my face, neck, and shoulders. I gasped, frozen in disbelief, unable to move or speak.
“Oh, Andrew, honestly—you’re too dramatic!”
Not a gasp. Not concern. She laughed.
For a moment, no one breathed. Then something unexpected happened—not out of emotion, but out of clarity. I quietly reached under the table, pulled out my bag, unzipped it, and laid a stack of documents neatly on the linen tablecloth.
Helen’s smile faltered.
I stood tall, even as my skin throbbed from the burn, and said calmly, “You’re right, Andrew. Ten minutes is perfect.”
I pushed the first document toward him with deliberate steadiness.
The Evidence He Never Expected Me to Have
At first, Andrew grabbed the papers with irritation, assuming I was trying to make a scene. He always assumed I would bend, break, apologize—anything to keep peace.
But the moment he saw the heading Divorce Petition, supported by documented evidence of mistreatment, he went still.
“Something I prepared weeks ago,” I replied, my tone level and unshaken. “You remember that morning you raised your hand to me for the first time? That was when I stopped pretending things would get better.” Continue reading…