I moved the magnifier down to the first line.
“Rebecca, I’ve been thinking about everything we discussed, and I can’t keep pretending that my marriage is fine.”
My stomach turned over.
Who was Rebecca?
I sat on that couch, and everything from the last six months came rushing back. Every single piece.
The late nights. Seven-thirty. Eight o’clock.
The phone calls in the backyard, by the fence, in the dark.
The conversations that stopped when I walked into the kitchen.
“I’ll figure something out. I just need some time. I’ll call you Thursday.”
I’d thought he was talking about work.
Now I wasn’t so sure about anything.
I didn’t read the rest of the letter. I couldn’t. My hands were shaking too hard to hold the phone steady. And honestly, I was terrified of what the next line might say.
I put the papers down on the coffee table. I picked my phone back up and said, “Call Megan.”
Megan Ruiz has been my best friend since we were eleven years old. We grew up three houses apart in Gresham. She was my maid of honor. She drove me to every single physical therapy appointment for the first four months after the accident, when I couldn’t even walk to the car by myself.
She picked up on the second ring.
“Hey, you! I was just going to call you.”
“Megan,” I said. And then I started crying so hard I couldn’t get any words out.
“Sutton? Sutton, what’s wrong? Are you hurt? Where’s Ashton?”
It took me five minutes to tell her everything. The light. Dr. Morgan. The surprise I’d been planning. The question Ashton didn’t answer. The suitcase. The divorce papers. The settlement. Rebecca.
When I finished, Megan was quiet on the other end for a long time.
“Wait,” she said. “Wait. Go back. You can see?”
“A little. Shapes. Blurry. I can read with my phone if I make it really big.”
“Oh my God, Sutton.” I could hear her crying now too. “Oh my God. That’s… that’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Megan, he’s divorcing me.”
She took a breath.
“Okay,” she said. “Okay. Sutton, have you actually asked Ashton about these papers?”
“Not yet.”
“Then you need to talk to him.”
Lila Hart is a dedicated Digital Archivist and Research Specialist with a keen eye for preserving and curating meaningful content. At TheArchivists, she specializes in organizing and managing digital archives, ensuring that valuable stories and historical moments are accessible for generations to come.
Lila earned her degree in History and Archival Studies from the University of Edinburgh, where she cultivated her passion for documenting the past and preserving cultural heritage. Her expertise lies in combining traditional archival techniques with modern digital tools, allowing her to create comprehensive and engaging collections that resonate with audiences worldwide.
At TheArchivists, Lila is known for her meticulous attention to detail and her ability to uncover hidden gems within extensive archives. Her work is praised for its depth, authenticity, and contribution to the preservation of knowledge in the digital age.
Driven by a commitment to preserving stories that matter, Lila is passionate about exploring the intersection of history and technology. Her goal is to ensure that every piece of content she handles reflects the richness of human experiences and remains a source of inspiration for years to come.