4
After Dominic left, I sat in our bedroom for a long time.
My tears had dried, leaving a tight, stiff feeling across my face.
Once I calmed down, I called Julian Blake, our family lawyer, to draft a divorce agreement.
Then, I started researching volunteer teaching programs online.
I had grown up in the Appalachian Highlands, and it was always my dream to return home to teach after graduating.
But in college, Dominic had said he fell for me at first sight.
We dated for four years before getting married under Mr. Blackwell’s blessing.
Now, I wanted to finish what I’d once left undone.
I rested a hand on my stomach, a pang of guilt rising within me.
Since I’d decided to leave Dominic, keeping the baby wasn’t an option.
The idea of being a single mother felt absurd in real life.
Better to make the tough decision now while it was still early.
