‘It’s all sorted,’ Alex said.
‘Check your bank account.’
I opened the account, my hands shaking. And there it was: $50,000.
‘Thanks,’ I squeezed out.
‘Just take care of her,’ he said.
I didn’t have the energy to reveal Claire’s manipulations.
I just said,
‘Goodbye, Alex.’ And hung up the phone.
I sat in silence and stared at the screen.
$50,000. My chance at freedom.
My chance for a fresh start.
When Claire returned, I was sitting with the divorce papers.
‘Tom?’ – Her voice was uncertain. ‘What is it?’
I looked into her eyes, but for the first time in a long time I felt nothing.
‘It’s over, Claire,’ I said calmly. ‘I know about Alex.’
Her face went pale.
‘Tom, let me explain…’
I held up my hand.
“You don’t have to. I don’t want excuses. I want a divorce.”
She backed away and sat back in her chair.
“What will happen to our finances? To the house? With life?”
I smiled. It was the first genuine smile I’d seen in a long time.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
The last time I left the flat, I heard Claire screaming, but I didn’t turn my head.
That night, in a modest motel, I lay staring at the ceiling, ignoring calls and texts.
Tomorrow I would start all over again.
But that night, I savoured a sense of relief. The heaviness of the past years was fading away.
Before I fell asleep, I saw the last message from Claire:
“I’m sorry. I really loved you.”
After a pause, I replied,
“I know. But sometimes love isn’t enough.”
And switched off the phone. A new day was already waiting for me.