Chapter 2: The Call

1

The day I agreed to the divorce was as ordinary as any other. The air outside was thick with the threat of rain that never came. I sat on my couch, the TV droning in the background, my phone heavy in my hand. My thumb hovered over Rachel’s number, frozen. For a moment, I almost couldn’t press it.

But I did. The phone rang. Jason answered, his voice sharp and cocky, water running in the background. “She’s in the shower. What do you want?”

I steadied myself, swallowing the urge to snap back. “I’m looking for Rachel.”

He didn’t miss a beat. “She’s in the shower. If you’ve got something to say, just say it.”

His tone was direct, bordering on smug. For him, this was a game—another round he expected to win.

If it had been before, I would’ve lost it—yelling, demanding, slamming doors. But that part of me was worn out, dulled by too many unanswered calls.

Now, I knew only Jason could reach her. I couldn’t let her hang up on me again, leaving me stranded and desperate.

I took a shaky breath. “Didn’t she say she wanted a divorce? I agree.”

Jason went silent, caught off guard. “You agreed to the divorce?”

“Yeah.”

There was a shuffle, the sound of the phone changing hands. The air shifted.

Rachel’s voice came through, pleasant but distant, like I was just an old acquaintance. “It’s me.”

I froze. Her voice was so familiar it hurt, muffled by the months between us. My chest tightened. Old memories flickered—her suitcase rolling down the hall, the click of her boots on the stairs, the echo that lingered long after she was gone.

We hadn’t spoken since the day she moved out half a year ago. The last thing she’d said was: “Melissa, let’s get a divorce. If you don’t agree, I’ll move out and then file for it.”

Now, half a year later, I finally gave in. My voice was small. “I heard from Jason that you want to divorce me?”

Rachel spoke first, a frown in her voice. I could almost see the familiar crease between her brows, the one that always showed up when she was lost for words.

I didn’t understand her confusion. Wasn’t it her idea?

But I didn’t want to argue anymore. I just gave a quiet hum. “If you have time, let’s meet and sign the divorce papers.”

I hung up before she could answer. For once, I didn’t feel the urge to call back. Just silence—and for the first time, it was mine.