Chapter 9 - THE FINAL PETITION
Six months into the "New Independence,"
Scott reached his breaking point.
He waited for Jenna to come home one Tuesday night,
sitting at the table with a new folder of his own.
It wasn't filled with receipts; it was filled with apologies and a desperate plea.
Jenna,
I made a terrible mistake,
he said,
standing up as she entered.
I was arrogant,
I was foolish,
and I listened to my mother instead of my heart.
I want to go back to the way things were,
he pleaded.
I want us to be a team again.
Jenna set her keys on the counter and looked at him for a long time.
She saw the weight he had lost,
the stress in his eyes,
and the humble posture of a man who had been defeated by reality.
But she also saw the memory of him standing in that same spot,
telling her he was tired of supporting her.
She saw the receipts for the sixty thousand dollars she spent on his ungrateful family.
The "way things were" was a life where I worked two jobs—one at the office and one as your servant,
she said softly.
The "way things were" was a life where you took everything I gave and gave nothing back but judgment.
I don't want to go back there,
Scott.
I like this version of me better.
I like the version of me that doesn't have to label her food because she lives alone.
Scott’s heart dropped.
What are you saying?
I’m saying that I’ve already signed the lease on a new penthouse downtown,
she said.
And I’ve already filed the paperwork for the divorce.
You wanted independence,
Scott,
and I’m giving you the ultimate version of it.
You can keep this apartment,
though I’m sure you’ll need a roommate to afford the rent.
May you like
And you can tell your mother that she was right—financial independence is very important.
It’s what gave me the courage to leave you.
