The next morning, Gregory left for work assuming everything would return to normal by dinner. Instead, I waited until Daisy was at school, packed the documents I needed, and drove directly to a family-law attorney. By noon, I had started the divorce process, opened an account in my own name, and arranged a temporary apartment near Daisy’s school. I did not send Gregory a warning.
When he came home, half my clothes were gone and Daisy’s room was nearly empty. That was when the messages began. First he was angry. Then confused. Then suddenly apologetic. He added me back to the family group and announced that we were “working through a misunderstanding.” I left the chat myself before anyone could respond. For once, I was the one deciding whether I belonged there.
...
