After My Husband Called Me a Murderer, I Chose Myself

The chemo left me entirely empty. I walked out of Cedars-Sinai and stopped on the sidewalk. My legs felt like lead. The Los Angeles sun was blinding today. It hurt my eyes. My stomach rolled with severe nausea. I just wanted to go back to my dark room and sleep.

I walked slowly to the parking lot. Before I could unlock my old car, a black town car pulled up. It blocked me in. The back door flew open.

Luella Grant stepped out. Her face was pale and drawn, but her eyes burned with rage. She looked thinner. I knew she had ended up in the ER yesterday. Kolson’s assistant had accidentally let it slip when I called to cancel my health insurance. A panic attack.

Brynlee stepped out right behind her. She held Luella’s arm gently.

"You murderer," Luella hissed. Her voice cracked. She wasn't just angry. She was grieving.

I leaned against my car door. I didn't have the strength to stand straight. "Luella—"

"Don't speak to me!" she screamed. People in the parking lot turned to look. She didn't care. "You killed my grandchild! You destroyed our family's future because you couldn't handle Kolson having a friend. You did this out of pure spite!"

I looked at Brynlee. She stood slightly behind Luella. Her face was a perfect mask of tragedy. She had fed Luella this story. She took a grieving mother and pointed her like a loaded gun right at me.

"Luella, please," Brynlee said softly. She rubbed Luella’s back. "Don't upset yourself. Remember your heart."

"She has no heart!" Luella cried out. Her hands shook violently. "You are nothing but a cold, vindictive woman, Selena. You never deserved my son."

I didn't defend myself. I didn't tell her about the cancer. What was the point? They had already written my story.

Brynlee stepped forward. She let go of Luella and moved close to me. The scent of her heavy floral perfume made my stomach turn again. She reached into her designer tote bag and pulled out a thick manila envelope.

She slid out a stack of papers. A divorce agreement.

"I'm so sorry it has to be this way, Selena," Brynlee said aloud. Her voice was pure sympathy. But her eyes were dead.

She leaned in close. Her lips were right by my ear.

"This is the kindest thing you can do for him now," she whispered. Her voice was like venom wrapped in silk.

She pressed a heavy gold pen into my hand.

I looked down at the papers. Kolson’s name was already printed at the top. I felt a sharp ache in my chest. But I was so tired. I was tired of fighting for a man who didn't want me.

I turned around. I placed the papers flat on the hot hood of my car. The metal burned my skin. My hand shook, but I pressed the pen down. I signed my name.

I handed the papers back to Brynlee. I didn't say a single word. I got into my car, locked the doors, and drove away. I left them standing in the sun.

***

Kolson sat at his desk in his downtown office. The city stretched out below him, but he wasn't looking at the view. He stared at his phone. No calls. No texts. Just silence from Selena.

The office door opened softly. Brynlee walked in. She wore a soft beige dress. She looked angelic. She walked to his desk and gently placed a manila envelope in front of him.

"What is this?" Kolson asked.

Brynlee sighed. She reached out and touched his hand. "I went to see her, Kolson. With your mother. I tried to talk to her. I really did."

Kolson opened the envelope. He pulled out the divorce papers. He saw Selena’s signature at the bottom. The ink was dark. The lines were shaky and uneven.

"I told her to think it over," Brynlee said softly. A single tear slipped down her cheek. "But she just... grabbed the pen. I think she's been wanting this for a long time, Kolson. Maybe she never really loved you."

Kolson stared at the signature. His chest tightened. Selena never did anything without thinking. She was careful. She was steady. She left the porch light on every night. This messy signature looked like a cry for help. Or a final, desperate surrender.

He looked up at Brynlee. She was wiping her tear away. Her expression was perfectly sad.

But something was wrong.

He watched her eyes. They were completely dry, except for that one perfect tear. Her voice was gentle, but it sounded rehearsed. There was a slight lag between her sad words and the coldness in her gaze. It was too precise. Too flawless.

For ten years, Kolson had kept Brynlee on a pedestal. But right now, sitting in his office, a hairline crack appeared in the marble.

"Sign it, Kolson," Brynlee whispered gently. "Let her go."

Kolson looked down at the pen on his desk. He didn't pick it up. He felt a sudden, sharp panic in his gut. The image of Selena standing alone in their kitchen flashed in his mind. He pushed his chair back and stood up.

"Kolson? Where are you going?" Brynlee asked. Her perfect mask slipped for a split second. Her voice was suddenly sharp.

"I'm not signing this," he said coldly.

He grabbed his jacket and walked out the door. He had to find his wife.