Chapter 4

My arm throbbed where Brennan had gripped it. His words, 'They' ll bury you,' echoed in the quiet air. I felt a chill spread through me, colder than any winter day. He wasn't just threatening me; he was threatening to crush me, to erase me.

I remembered a time when he had used those very same words to protect me, to defend my honor against a malicious rumor. Now, his formidable legal power was turned against me. The irony was a bitter taste in my mouth.

It felt utterly pointless. All of it. The years, the sacrifices, the love. Everything was reduced to a battle I was too tired to fight.

Then, my phone, which Brennan had tossed aside earlier, buzzed. It was Evelyn. "Allison? I've confirmed with the county clerk. The divorce papers you signed, based on the original prenup, were processed this morning. You're officially divorced."

Brennan had signed it, all those years ago, a grand romantic gesture to prove his love. A signed, sealed, and effective divorce agreement, tucked away in a safe deposit box, only to be activated by a simple request. He' d forgotten. I hadn' t.

I looked up at Brennan, who was still glaring at me, his eyes burning with possessiveness. My face, I knew, was a mask of calm. "It's done, Brennan," I said, my voice steady. "We're divorced."

I stood up, my legs feeling strangely light. Every step was a step towards freedom.

He stared, dumbfounded. "Where are you going?" he asked, his voice laced with a confusion that was almost comical.

"To the hospital," I replied, my hand touching the faint red line where the arrow had grazed my eye. "To get this checked out."

Bird, sensing the shift in the air, hesitantly tugged on Brennan' s shirt. "Dad, can I... can I and Colton play more?"

Then he looked at me, his eyes wide. "Mom, can you still order Cheri's birthday cake? The one with the real gold flakes? She'll love it!"

I didn't turn back. I couldn't. My heart was a barren landscape, incapable of feeling another sting.

Brennan didn't follow. A text message came through a few minutes later, a curt, 'Are you okay?' It felt hollow, a mere formality.

It was perfect. No clinging, no desperate pleas. Just a quiet, clean break. The weight that had suffocated me for so long lifted, replaced by a strange, fragile lightness.

At the emergency room, the doctor assured me the cut was superficial. A few laser treatments, and there would be no permanent damage. I felt a surge of gratitude. My vision, physical and metaphorical, was clear.

Later, a call from Barclay. "Allison, is it true? Are you really going through with the divorce?" His voice was tight, betraying his concern, or perhaps, his irritation.

"Yes, Barclay," I said, my voice steady. "I am."

He sighed, a long, weary sound. "Your mother... she would have found a way to make it work. She endured far worse, you know. Sometimes, a woman has to be pragmatic."

My throat tightened with a cold fury. "My mother is dead, Barclay. And I am not." The words were sharp, cutting through the comfortable veneer of his advice.

Brennan's voice cut in from the background. "Who was that, Allison?"

I hung up on Barclay without a word. "No one important," I mumbled to Brennan, walking past him into the kitchen.

Bird, seeing me, immediately ran up, his face scrunched in a defiant pout. "Mom, you're not hurt! You were just pretending to make Cheri feel bad! You're so mean!"

The words felt like physical blows. My breath hitched. I opened my mouth to speak, but no sound came out. My own son. My own son believed I was this villain.

Brennan, to my surprise, snapped at Bird. "Bird William! Apologize to your mother right now!"

Bird crossed his arms, stubbornly shaking his head. "No! She's mean!"

Brennan's voice dropped, laced with a subtle threat. "If you don't apologize, you can't go to Cheri's house this weekend. No playdates with Colton."

Bird's eyes widened, and he immediately mumbled, "Sorry, Mom." The apology was forced, the fear of losing Cheri's company far outweighing any genuine remorse.

Then, he looked at Brennan, his eyes shining. "Dad, can I go to Cheri's this weekend? Can I sleep over there? It'll be so fun!"

I met Brennan's gaze, a cold, empty calm settling over me. "Yes, Bird," I said, my voice flat. "You can."

Brennan's jaw tightened. He hadn't expected me to agree so readily.

Bird beamed, a wide, innocent smile. "Yay! It's like an early Christmas present, Mom! Not having you around!" His words, sharp as shards of ice, sliced through the last remnants of my maternal heart. There was nothing left to salvage.