He drew the line there. Lots of people did it, lots of men didn’t care. He did.
“He was someone who always wanted sex before. I felt rejected and that’s not a nice feeling. Not something I was used to. I took a big look at my life and knew I wasn’t happy. I asked him to go to counseling and he got livid with me, said there was nothing wrong, and life was just busy. It wasmyproblem, not his.”
“You don’t do that to someone you love and made a life with,” he said.
A soft smile filled her face, her eyes got a bit glossy. “No. So I made the decision that it wasn’t going to be a one-way marriage, hired someone to look into him and see if I was paranoid. If it was in my mind. If it were, I still was going to have to figure out my future. I wasn’t staying in a marriage like that if he wasn’t going to work at it.”
“But you were right.”
“I was. I equally hated being right as I hoped I was wrong. I guess it made it easier for me to walk away and not feel as if I was one hundred percent to blame. When I told him I had proof he blew up. He was pissed I didn’t believe him.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Ironic, don’t you think?” she asked sarcastically.
“Very.”
“I moved out with Archer into my parents’ house and got an attorney. Tucker was more pissed off that this was going to make him look bad. He begged me to not say a word to anyone about him cheating.”
“You’re joking.”
He was appalled for her.
“He didn’t have to ask me that,” she said. “I’m not one to air out my dirty laundry. Thankfully, we weren’t in the same department at Duke anymore, but you can’t cheat with someone there and not have people find out.”
“So it was someone he worked with?”
“An OR nurse. And of course that woman was thrilled and thought now that he was single, he’d want to be with her.”
“I can see where this is going,” he said.
“Yep. I kept my mouth shut, but she didn’t. He dropped her fast and that caused evenmoreproblems. Everyone pitied me.”
“Which you would have hated.”
“I did. I ignored it and did my job. Archer was my priority. I wanted a fast divorce, I wanted to move on. My attorney was going hard at him. His attorney was fighting back. It’s not what I wanted and I finally said enough. I couldn’t do it any longer.”
“Good for you.”
“The judge praised me in the courtroom one day. The attorneys were arguing, Tucker was being an asshole and I finally stood up and said I was done. I wanted to move on. That I’d take the last offer just like I told my attorney weeks ago. He walked away from the house and I put the remaining mortgage in my name. I get child support for eighteen years and he has to pay for Archer’s college.”
“Sounds like he got off pretty light. You might have gotten him for alimony.”
“That’s what the judge said and told Tucker to take the win. He wasn’t even fighting for time with his kid, it was about money.”
“Then he moved?”
“A few years ago. He sees Tucker two to three times a year for a week at a time. It’s only two hours away. I always say I can meet him halfway for a weekend, but he ends up canceling. They talk a few times a month for a few minutes and he sends me money to buy Archer gifts for holidays or special occasions.”
“So doing the barest required in his eyes.”
“He’s only hurting his relationship with his son in the long run. That’s why I’m there so much for Archer. I’m his mother and his father.”
“You don’t have to do it alone, Farrah,” he said, reaching for her.
“I don’t, but I am.”
“What about us?” he asked. “Where or what does this mean for us?”
