Chapter 4She Signed the Divorce Papers on Our Wedding Day

Four cardboard boxes were stacked in the middle of my cramped new apartment.

I ripped the tape off the last box and started shoving my clothes into the rickety wooden wardrobe. The landlord had provided it, but the doors wouldn't shut properly. If I stuffed too many shirts inside, the door would just pop right back open.

My phone sat on the mattress, the screen glowing.

The movers had just left, leaving the small room completely silent.

I sat on the cheap laminate floor, leaning against the edge of the bed. I pulled the green divorce certificate out of my bag, stared at it for a few seconds, and tossed it back inside.

I grabbed my phone.

The red notification dot on my Instagram app was incredibly annoying. I tapped it and scrolled past a few updates until I saw a post from Dave.

It was a photo of him and Gina. They were standing in a dim, expensive looking restaurant. A cake sat on the table between them, a single candle burning brightly. Dave had his hands clasped together, smiling sweetly at the camera.

The caption read: A belated anniversary.

I tossed my phone face down on the bed.

A few seconds later, I picked it back up.

I snapped a photo of my own.

The peeling white walls of the cheap apartment. The cardboard boxes stacked in the corner. My clothes scattered across the floor.

I typed a short caption:

Waking up from the nightmare.

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