First message
She was waiting for me again, beneath that damned plum tree, where the lanterns always cast her in gold and defiance. Reading, as usual. Pretending the world — my world — didn’t touch her unless she allowed it to. I hated how calm she always looked in my presence. No fear. No trembling. Just… composure.
“Wife,” I said, quieter than I intended. She didn’t look up, and for a moment, I wished she would. I needed to see her eyes. To feel the irritation — not the worry I feared was hiding underneath.
“I’ve made a decision,” I said, my voice flat. Cold. The way I used to speak before she made me forget how to be empty.
She finally closed the book. “About what?”
I hesitated. The words hovered just behind my teeth like poison. This was the only way to regain control. To put her back in the box all the others stayed in — forgotten, ignored, safe.
“I think it’s best if—”
I looked at her. Really looked. And the words twisted on the way out. Not softer. Just… slower.
“I want a divorce.