Too Late To Apologize, Mr. CEO

My tires squealed as I peeled out of the parking lot and sped away.Savannah! My long-lost sister, back from the dead.My stomach roiled. I was glad she was still alive. Of course I was. It had been painful to watch the light go out of my parents’ eyes, their despair as week after week went by with no word.I just wished she’d stayed away from Derek. The look on his face had told me everything I needed to know. He was gazing at my sister with a tenderness and affection I had never seen before. Certainly not directed at me, and not even towards our daughter. The seven years of our marriage—seven long, bitterly patient years—suddenly felt like a cruel joke. Now that Savannah was back, there was no place for me in Derek’s heart. No amount of compromise and devotion could compete with a ghost come back to life. I’d spent years trying to prove my worth to a man who had never truly loved me. I’d buried my loneliness and swallowed my pride, trying to keep my family together. But now it w

I sat alone in the examination room, looking at the mottled linoleum floor while the doctor examined my leg. There was a gash across my calf that would need several stitches. It hadn’t hit any major nerves or blood vessels, but it would still take some time to heal. The doctor finished bandaging my leg and patted my shoulder. “Keep your weight off of it for a few days and remember to take all your antibiotics,” she said. “Your knee is sprained, too, but you’ll be fine eventually.” I nodded politely, but in truth I was barely listening. The crash kept replaying itself over and over in my mind. The screech of tires, the crunch of metal, my daughter’s scream. Then the sight of my husband running straight past us to rescue my sister.Now Savannah was awake and stable, apparently waiting for some “necessary tests.” The doctor assured me that Emma was fine, she had just been taken away for a check-up. That was the only thing keeping me upright. It wasn’t the support of my nearest an

The divorce papers sat on my desk like a silent accusation. They’d hovered there in the corner of my eye while I shuffled meaningless papers and pretended to work. My wife’s signature across the bottom was bold and decisive. It was the same hand that had once left me love notes in my briefcase. Now it was signing away our marriage.I leaned back in my chair, trying to erase the memories that kept coming up in my mind. The crash, the smell of gasoline, the rising flames and rain of debris as the car exploded. The way my instincts had betrayed everything I’d believed about myself. I’d gone straight for Savannah. It wasn’t until after I’d rescued her that I realized Claire was still in the car, trapped and injured. Along with my daughter. My chest was so tight I could barely breathe. I loved Emma more than life, and I’d left her there to burn. What kind of man was I? I rubbed my face with shaking hands. Adrian had done what I should have done. The image was burned into my mind:

Derek blinked, as if he hadn’t heard me right. “You’re not serious.”“I found an apartment nearby.” I tried to walk around him. “I already called an Uber. You’re just getting in my way.” He didn’t move. “Why call a stranger to help when your family is right here?” “You’re not my family. Not anymore.”“You can’t just—”“I can.”“Then at least cancel the Uber and let me drive you there.”“No.”He seemed to come to a decision. “Get in the car. Or I’ll carry you into it myself,” he said, his voice low and commanding.I glared at my husband. “Don’t you dare,” I said. We stood outside the car, the tension between us thick and heavy. “Claire,” he said through clenched teeth. “Stop making a scene and get in the car.” I tightened my grip on my crutch. “I’m not making a scene.”He sighed sharply, like my words had offended him. I’d heard that sound so often during our married life, every time I dared to question him or challenge him in any way.A week ago I would have submitted to his dema

I froze for a second, then set down my fork. “He’s not here. We’re getting a divorce.” His expression darkened. “What?”“It’s been coming for a while.” I kept my voice even. “He’s with someone else now.”He shook his head. “That’s unbelievable. He shouldn’t leave you when you’re still so vulnerable, recovering from your injury.” “Oh, I’m the one leaving him,” I replied. “The divorce was my idea.” That made him pause. “It was?”“Yes.” I forced a smile, although my chest felt heavy. “I just ended a marriage that never should’ve happened in the first place.”He watched me quietly for a moment, studying my face like he was trying to read my thoughts. “You’re a strong woman, Claire,” he said.“I don’t feel strong,” I replied. “Mostly I just feel tired.” “You don’t have to pretend around me, you know.” He reached out and briefly laid a warm hand on my arm.The concern in his voice loosened the tightness in my chest. “Thank you,” I said. “For being here. For doing all this.” He smiled.