Chapter 2 CHAPTER 1

Katherine Cooper

He said that if he ever stopped loving me, he would at least have the decency to send me back home in one piece.

I'm being thrown out.

The sobs come hard, uncontrollable. I drag myself toward the closet, my legs trembling, and struggle to pull out my suitcases. I toss my clothes inside without any order. Dresses, blouses, memories hastily folded away. Nothing seems to matter.

Documents. Money. Charger. Laptop. Phone.

In the bathroom, the mirror reflects a tired image back at me. My swollen face betrays the night that never seems to end. My body has changed, that's true. Two hundred pounds distributed across fuller curves. Wide hips, full breasts, soft arms, thick thighs, a soft belly. I never thought any of that was a problem. I never imagined it would become a reason for contempt.

"Is this what bothers you so much?" I murmur, staring at my own reflection.

I pack my hair dryer, creams, and toothbrush. As I leave, my eyes fall on the wedding ring on my finger. The symbol of everything I believed in. I rip it off without hesitation and throw it somewhere across the bedroom. The pain tightens around my chest, suffocating.

I grab my suitcases and slowly make my way downstairs. Every step feels heavy. The house where I lived for three years flashes before my eyes like a cruel movie. To me, it was a home. To him, just a place to walk away from.

The door closes behind me.

Outside, a taxi approaches. Relief washes over me when I realize the driver is a woman. She gets out, takes in my condition for a second, and walks toward me.

"Do you need some help?" she asks carefully.

"Please..." I manage to reply.

She puts my suitcases in the trunk without asking any questions. I get into the car, my body trembling.

"Where are we going?" she asks as she settles into the driver's seat.

"Veridian Bay," I reply weakly. "112 Magnolia Street."

She looks at me through the rearview mirror.

"That's far... about a two-hour drive. It's going to be expensive."

"That's okay," I say without thinking. "I just... I just need to get out of here."

The car starts moving. I try to pull myself together, wiping my hands over my face, but it's no use. The tears return, harder this time.

"I'm sorry..." I say between sobs. "I didn't mean to be like this."

"You don't have to apologize," she replies firmly. "Sometimes we just need to cry."

Silence stretches between us for a few minutes. The road continues ahead, the city lights fading behind us.

"Can I ask what happened?" she asks carefully. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay."

"He cheated on me..." The words come out broken. "He humiliated me. Said I'm not good enough. That my body isn't good enough. That I could never give him a child."

My breathing falters. And before I realize it, I'm talking nonstop.

"I always tried to be a good wife... I always took care of him. I always loved him. Maybe God never gave me a child because He knew what was going to happen. If I had a child right now... I'd be suffering even more."

She slowly shakes her head.

"It's not worth destroying yourself over someone who didn't know how to appreciate you," she says. "A man who does something like that doesn't get away unscathed. What he planted today, he'll reap. And it won't be a small harvest."

I wipe my face, trying to control the tears.

"Do you really think so?"

"I'm sure of it." Her voice is firm. "God knows what He's doing. Sometimes pain is deliverance."

I nod silently. The car continues down the road, taking me farther away from that place, that man, that life that shattered far too soon. The journey is long. Eventually, there are no words left. Little by little, the tears stop, leaving nothing but a heavy exhaustion in my body.

Veridian Bay appears ahead.

And with it, everything I still have left.

The taxi stops in front of my parents' house. The driver gets out first, walks around, and opens the trunk to help me with my luggage. With trembling hands, I open one of the suitcases, search for my wallet, and take out the money.

"Thank you... truly," I say, holding out the bills.

She accepts them, holds my hand for a moment, and smiles gently.

"I hope you'll be okay, sweetheart. You deserve better than what you went through today."

I nod, unable to respond. I grab the handles of my suitcases and make my way toward the door. Before going inside, my gaze travels over the front of the house. Every detail awakens memories that hurt.

My childhood, running through the yard. The day I brought Arthur here to meet them. Our first kiss in front of that gate. All of my first times were with him. I always prioritized my studies, always took care of myself. Everything I gave, I gave to the same person.

The tears return without permission.

I open the door and walk inside.

My mother is sitting on the couch, knitting. My father is watching a game on television. They both startle at my abrupt entrance. Their surprise turns to concern the instant they notice the state I'm in.

"Katherine?" My mother drops her knitting. "What happened?"

The suitcases fall to the floor. I run to my father and cling to him tightly. My sobs erupt, loud, desperate, uncontrollable.

"Arthur cheated on me..." I say between sobs. "He left me for another woman. He said I'd gained weight, that my body wasn't good enough anymore. He threw it in my face that I couldn't give him a child. He made sure to humiliate me over every single one of those things before throwing me out."

My father wraps his arms around me, firm and protective.

"That bastard..." His voice trembles with rage. "If I ever see that man, I swear I'll kill him for making my little girl cry like this."

My mother comes closer and wraps both of us in a tight, warm, comforting embrace.

"It's okay, sweetheart..." she says, stroking my hair. "You're home now. No one is going to hurt you here."

"I tried so hard..." I continue, my voice faltering. "I did everything I could. I loved him. I took care of him. I put up with too much. I thought it was my fault."

"It never was," my father replies firmly. "And it never will be."

My mother cups my face between her hands, forcing me to look at her.

"Look at me," she says, her eyes filled with tears. "You didn't fail. The one who failed was the man who didn't know how to love you the way you deserve."

Their embrace surrounds me completely. For the first time since everything fell apart, my body relaxes a little. My heart still hurts, but there, wrapped in their arms, I feel something I thought I'd lost.

Protection.

Comfort.

Peace, however fragile.

And in that moment, even though I'm shattered, I know I'm not alone.