The Anniversary Toast Chapter 06

The Anniversary Toast Chapter 06

I woke to sunlight streaming through Nora’s guest room curtains and the smell of coffee.

My phone showed 47 unread messages and 12 missed calls. I scanned the names – Grant, Audrey, Grant’s mother, mutual friends, my cousin. I deleted them all without reading a single one.

Then I saw one message that stopped me.

It was from Grant’s brother, Owen. We’d always gotten along – he was quieter than Grant, more thoughtful, and had always treated me with genuine kindness.

His message was simple: “Elise, I’m sorry. What my brother did is unforgivable. If you need anything – a reference for a lawyer, someone to help you move your things – I’m here. No strings. You deserved better.”

I stared at it for a long time. Then I typed back: “Thank you, Owen.”

Nora had made breakfast – scrambled eggs, toast, and a comically large mug of coffee. She sat across from me at her kitchen island, watching me eat with the vigilant attention of a nurse monitoring a patient.

“You’re staring,” I said.

“I’m assessing. You slept, you’re eating, you haven’t cried. I’m either impressed or concerned.”

“Be impressed. I made my decision yesterday, and I’m not going back on it.”

She raised her coffee mug in a toast. “To never going back.”

I clinked my mug against hers. “To moving forward.”

After breakfast, I called my lawyer. The divorce filing was already drafted – I’d consulted her two days ago, the morning after I found the phone. She was efficient and ruthless, exactly what I needed.

“Given the evidence of infidelity, you’re in a strong position,” she said. “The prenup protects your pre-marital assets, and the screenshots establish clear grounds. I’ll have papers served by Wednesday.”

“Do it.”

I spent the rest of the morning making a list. Practical things – changing the locks on the house I’d owned before the marriage, canceling joint accounts, redirecting my mail. Each item I crossed off felt like cutting a

thread that had been tied around my chest.

By noon, Nora and I drove to the house. Grant’s car was gone. I used my key – for the last time and we moved quickly. I packed two suitcases of clothes, my laptop, important documents, and the few sentimental items that were mine alone: my grandmother’s ring, the first edition books my father had given me, the photo

album from before Grant existed in my life.

I left everything he’d ever given me. Every piece of jewelry, every gift, every carefully chosen token of a love that turned out to be performance art.

On the kitchen counter, I noticed a vase of fresh lilies – my favorite flower. He must have bought them

yesterday, before the dinner. A card was tucked among the stems.

“To five more years, and fifty after that. Forever yours, Grant.”

I plucked the card from the flowers, read it once, and dropped it in the trash.

“Ready?” Nora asked from the doorway, my suitcases already loaded in her car.

I took one last look at the kitchen – the kitchen where I’d cooked a thousand meals, where Grant had kissed

me every morning, where Audrey had sat on that very stool and eaten my food while hiding a secret that would

burn our family to the ground.

“Ready.”

I locked the door behind me and slid the key under the mat.