His jaw tightened.
“That’s not fair.”
“Your mother gets loud when she hears no. I stayed quiet because I loved you. Which one of us was easier to disappoint?”
Richard looked down.
Susan already knew the answer.
After a long silence, he whispered,
“I thought you were stronger.”
Susan almost smiled.
That sentence explained almost everything.
“Being stronger didn’t mean I deserved less support.”
“I know that now.”
“But knowing it now doesn’t erase the years I spent without you understanding it.”
Richard finally asked the question he had been avoiding.
“Did you file for divorce?”
Susan nodded.
“Yes.”
Richard closed his eyes.
PART 6 – WHAT MARGARET ACTUALLY LOST
Six weeks later, Margaret moved into a furnished apartment.
She told relatives that Susan had thrown her out of the family home because of an argument about electricity.
Several people contacted Richard.
Two called Susan directly.
Susan answered only once.
