The Price of Separation

I had been hooked up to an IV drip for two hours at the hospital, but when I came out, Lionel’s car was nowhere in sight. I felt miserable, and unable to bear it any longer, I took a cab home. My phone died soon after. That’s when it hit me—he hadn’t come to pick me up. Once, he had been so attentive to me. When had he started pulling away, growing distant and cold? “You blocked me so I couldn’t call you,” I said flatly. Lionel blinked, his anger fading slightly from his handsome face. “I figured you’d be hungry, so I brought you some supper. Beef stew and some hash browns.” I looked at the bowl in his hand. It was just some watery soup with a few chunks of beef in it. It looked more like leftovers from someone else’s meal. Half an hour ago, I saw Sandra’s post on Instagram. The picture showed Lionel in the kitchen, stirring the stew: [Who says there are no good men in the world? Not only did he teach me to drive a stickshift, but when I was hungry, he made

I didn’t know how much time had passed when consciousness began to seep back in. The sharp voice of my best friend, Felicia Granger, echoed in my ears. “Are you out of your mind, Lionel? You forced her to swim? Do you have any idea she just had a miscarriage?” she asked angrily. “She… she had a miscarriage? When was she pregnant? Why didn’t she tell me…?” Lionel’s hoarse voice wavered with guilt and disbelief. “Are you blind? Haven’t you noticed how weak she’s been these past few days? Or were your eyes glued only to Sandra?” Felicia seethed, practically trembling with rage. If we weren’t in a hospital, I was sure she would’ve slapped him. “I really didn’t know…” Lionel stammered.“You didn’t know?” Felicia scoffed. “Yet you had no problem signing the house over to that two-faced leech and buying her a car, did you? Do you even realize she miscarried because of your cruelty? You’re the reason!” “I…” Lionel trailed off, his voice hollow. “Enough. Just seeing your face

That night, I begged him to stay, for the sake of the love we once shared. I asked him to sever ties with Sandra. Lionel had been sitting on the sofa, holding his phone, engrossed in whatever message Sandra had sent. A smile curved the corners of his lips, and there was a spark of tenderness in his eyes.Then, he turned his cold gaze toward me. "Why do you always ruin the mood? Can’t you stop taking your feelings so seriously? No one needs anyone to survive. You’re putting too much pressure on me."I spent that night wide awake."Can’t you forgive me, Misha?" Lionel pleaded."Fine.”"Really? You’re willing to forgive me?" he asked in disbelief."I forgive you, but that won’t stop me from filing for divorce. We’ll see each other in court."With that, I turned and left without another word, leaving Lionel sitting on the ground, pale and motionless.That night, Lionel took a late-night flight back.A few days later, I received another message from Sandra. She had sent m