After the Last Tear: Rising from the Ashes of a Broken Marriage By Cassila K

Chapter 13

Elaine had a point.If all he needed was a wife who can solve problems, anyone would do. Yet for some inexplicable reason, he couldn't stand the thought of

letting her go.

He wanted her by his side-for whole life, maybe longer. He'd never once imagined what life would be like without Elaine.

Time was going, but he remained parked outside her house. As dawn broke, his phone suddenly blared to life. He jolted upright, fumbling for it, only to feel a stab of disappointment when Vivian's name flashed on the screen.

He tossed the phone aside and slumped back against the seat.

Closing his eyes, he found his mind filled with nothing but images of Elaine.

Teenage Elaine secretly following him across campus, thinking he hadn't noticed.

Bride Elaine walking down the aisle on her father's arm, her eyes full of love as she approached him.

his ex-girlfriends, then quietly crying when he brought home yet another replacement the very

his chest refused to go away, making it impossible to define exactly what Elaine

across pavement caught his attention. He looked up to see Elaine approaching, dragging a suitcase behind

panic

voice still carried its usual edge, but underneath lurked something

hadn't even realized it himself, but he was terrified she

parked nearby. The cigar butts littering the

man standing before her, she couldn't understand what he was

his anxiety spiked. His grip on her wrist tightened as he repeated,

prying his fingers off one by one, then rubbed

seem to have forgotten we're divorced," she said flatly. Everything about her her voice, her movements, her eyes-was different now. The love

into someone he didn't recognize. Someone who no longer

took a step back. "You have no right

the divorce. It's only your