ManyWriters

Just three days before our silver wedding anniversary.
I discovered his secret, a tiny underground room.
From wall to ceiling, it was plastered with countless photos of another woman.
Apparently, from his thirties to his sixties, someone else had occupied his heart.
Those crucial business trips, those exotic decorative pieces.
Everything now made sense, as I gazed at their beaming faces in the photos.
I looked down at my own hands, marked with wrinkles and age spots.
Suddenly, I felt utterly exhausted.

He Adorned the Basement With Photos Of His First Love

After pondering for a moment, I still decided not to visit Garrison in the hospital.


And I'm not the Mrs. Winters he's publicly announced.


It would be awkward if others recognized me there.


I'd probably just get blamed for no reason.


Besides, my new classes have just started.


I don't want to miss these enjoyable courses.


So I gave up on the idea of visiting Garrison in the hospital.


But even though I didn't go, Dashiell came knocking on my door.


I used the money from the divorce settlement to buy myself a quiet villa.


No more of that uncomfortable feeling of living in a large apartment.


This time, Dashiell seemed to have an agenda or some other reason for coming.


He didn't start accusing me right away like he used to.


Instead, he rather maturely called me "Mom."


I was a bit surprised, but I knew his visit wasn't just about getting me to visit Garrison in the hospital.


Chapter 8