The Grace of Leaving
River Hale
After I got a second chance at life, I stopped bringing lunch to my wife, who had become the factory manager.
She would leave for meetings through the south gate, so I would sneak around through the north.
In my previous life, I knew she only married me with an ulterior motive, but I still fell for her. I thought I could warm her heart over time.
However, Shirley Scott was always just polite to me, nothing more.
When I tried to get close, she would hand me a book and say, "Read more so people won't look down on you."
Once, with a bit of liquid courage, I hugged her. Yet, she just stood there, stiff as a board, and said, "It's what married folks do."
Years later, as I was dying, I read her memoir and learned about how she felt trapped in our marriage, like being stuck in the mud. She hoped she would never have to be with me again in another life.
That hurt more than anything.
However, then, I woke up and discovered that I was back to when there were whispers about her and the factory's technician.
This time, I did not make a scene. I just asked for a divorce.