The coffee shop smells of burnt espresso and cinnamon. I chose this place out of habit, not mood. It was halfway between my office and my flat. A neutral zone.
When I walked in, Alex was already there, sitting by the window with a coffee he hadn’t touched.
‘Hi,’ I said, dropping into the seat across from him.
‘Thanks for coming, Mo,’ he raised his bloodshot eyes to me.
Before I could respond, the waiter appeared.
‘Can I order a sourdough breakfast sandwich, with extra avocado?’ I said. ‘And an oat milk latte, please.’
He nodded and walked away.
‘I don’t want a divorce, Mo,’ he exhaled slowly.
I blinked. Right to it. Sweet.
‘I made a mistake. A stupid, horrible mistake. But we can fix it. We can go to therapy…we can…’
‘You tried to give away my house, Alex,’ I said softly. ‘At a party. In front of our family.’
He leaned forward, desperate.
‘It wasn’t like that, Mo. Come on.’
‘It was exactly like that.’
He rubbed his hands as if trying to warm them.
‘I was just trying to help Katie. She’s struggling…’
‘Katie’s husband should have helped her, not left. I didn’t. Not you. Not my parents. It’s not your responsibility.’
‘She’s my sister, Mo. What did you expect me to do? Honestly?’
‘And I was your wife, Alex.’
He flinched. The blow came exactly where I’d expected it to.
I looked out the window.
‘You dishonoured me, Alex,’ I said. ‘You betrayed me. And what’s the worst part? You didn’t even ask. You assumed I’d just say yes, like you always did with your mother. We didn’t even talk about it.’
‘I panicked,’ he said. ‘I didn’t think it would go this far.’
‘But it did.’
He reached across the table. I didn’t take his hand.
‘I still love you, Mo.’
My food arrived. I slowly unwrapped my sandwich without meeting his gaze.
‘I believe you,’ I said. ‘But love doesn’t make up for disrespect. And I’ll never forget the way you looked at me when you sided with them. Like I was just a…resource.’
‘Please,’ he whispered.
‘Goodbye, Alex. Don’t worry, I’ll pay.’
I picked up my coffee. And took a sip as Alex stepped out of the booth. The coffee was hot, bitter…and cleansing.
What would you do?