After a Family Trip Without Me

When I woke up, the sharp scent of disinfectant filled my nose. Every inch of my body ached, and a heavy grogginess weighed me down.

A nurse informed me that I had collapsed on my front doorstep the night before. It was a neighbor who found me and brought me to the hospital.

Out of nowhere, my son, Jackson Walker's voice, rang in my mind. "Ms. Moore." He was referring to Sophia Moore—my husband, Mason Walker's, first love.

It was midday, and the ward was alive with occasional bursts of laughter and conversation from other patients and their families. But at the foot of my bed, there was only emptiness.

After sitting in silence for what felt like an eternity, I decided to call Mason. As always, he didn't answer.

I scrolled through my social media feed, only to find his latest post. It read, "A once-in-a-lifetime family trip with the one I love."

In the photo, Mason and Sophia had their arms around Jackson. They smiled brightly at the camera, their fingers forming a heart. They looked like the perfect family of three.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. It would be a lie to say I wasn't hurt, but moments like this had become so common that I'd grown numb to the ache.

I even hit "like" on the post before putting my phone down.

In the days that followed, I stayed in the hospital while Mason and Jackson were off traveling with Sophia.

On the day I was discharged, I packed my things quietly and returned home alone. As I opened the door, I heard Mason and Jackson laughing from inside. They were sitting on the couch, surrounded by lavishly wrapped, expensive gifts.

The moment they saw me, their faces hardened. Their demeanor was cold and indifferent, as if I were a stranger to them.

In the past, I would have pretended everything was fine and made the effort to break the ice and start a conversation. But now, I was completely drained, both physically and emotionally. I had no strength left, no desire to make an effort.

Mason sat there, one leg crossed over the other, staring at me with a look of contempt.

"Athena Thornton, where have you been fooling around?

"You've been gone for days without saying a single word, and now you just stroll back in? Is this what you call being a good mother?"

His words took me by surprise. He must have been too caught up with Jackson and Sophia to notice the countless missed calls from me.

But when had it ever been any different? It was always his fault, yet I was the one who ended up with all the blame.

I had no energy left to argue. What was the point?

When I remained silent, Mason immediately assumed I was just throwing another senseless tantrum. He shot me a disdainful look and said, "Damn it, Athena. What are you complaining about now?

"So what if Jackson and I didn't go on the trip with you? Is it really that big of a deal?"

But it was a big deal.

"It was only because Sophia invited Jackson and me to dinner that we missed the flight. She's all alone here. I was just keeping her company. What's wrong with that? You're a woman, too. Can't you try to see things from someone else's perspective for once?"

But wasn't I all alone, too? My parents had been gone for years. Hadn't I been just as isolated, just as lonely?

Looking at the man I had loved for so long, all I felt was an unbearable distance between us. Ten years of devotion, and it had all been for nothing.

Even Jackson had started to take Mason's side, his contempt for me clear as day. "Mom, you're so petty. You're nothing like Ms. Moore. She's generous and kind. Look at all these gifts she gave me!

"You only know how to make Dad unhappy. I don't like you anymore!

"I want Ms. Moore to be my mom!"

This was the son I had loved and protected, the one I had cradled in my arms, terrified he might fall. Yet, in the end, I meant less to him than a complete stranger.

How absurd.

Hearts, after all, were made of flesh. When wounded too many times, they eventually grew numb.

Since Mason and Jackson both despised me so openly, I figured I'd give them exactly what they wanted. Without a second thought, I pulled the divorce papers from my bag and placed them in front of Mason.

"Let's get a divorce."

I then turned to Jackson, who was pouting stubbornly.

"That way, you'll finally have the mom you want."