Author: chet007

The IV drip was my constant companion. The steady drip, drip, drip was the soundtrack to my new life. When the doctor first said the words, Mark held my hand. …

Title: The Positive Vibes Prescription: A Story About the Husband Who Served Me Divorce Papers in the Oncology Ward Because My Cancer Was Ruining His Brunch Aesthetic Read More

I thought he was fighting for us. When Mark brought up the idea, I was relieved. We had been drifting apart, the silence in the house growing heavier by the …

Title: The Deposition Couch: A Story About the Husband Who Suggested Therapy Not to Save Our Marriage, But to Build His Case for Custody Read More

The conversation happened on our third date. I remember the candle flickering between us, casting shadows on his face. “I don’t want kids,” he said, looking me dead in the …

Title: The Instagram Announcement: A Story About the Man Who Told Me He Was Allergic to Fatherhood, Only to Become Dad of the Year the Moment He Found a Different Mother Read More

I spent months dragging him to specialists. I made appointments with neurologists, therapists, and endocrinologists. I was convinced something had broken inside his brain. The man who used to dance …

Title: The Voluntary Amnesia: A Story About the Man Who Killed His Past Self While He Was Still Alive, and the Wife Who Was Left Mourning a Ghost in the Living Room Read More

The smell of fresh varnish was intoxicating. I stood in the center of the living room, turning in a slow circle. The hardwood floors, which had been covered in grime …

Title: The Sweat Equity Trap: A Story About Sanding Floors for a Nursery That Was Actually Just Staging for a Real Estate Flip Read More

I thought I had cracked the code. I watched my friends fight with their partners about time, money, and attention, and I decided I would be different. I would be …

Title: The Void I Created: A Story About Becoming the Perfect ‘Low Maintenance’ Wife, and the Day He Left Me for a Woman Who Was a High-Maintenance Hurricane Read More

The airport arrival hall was a sea of red, white, and blue. I stood at the front of the barricade, clutching a handmade “Welcome Home, Hero” sign, my knuckles white …

Title: The Welcome Home Bypass: A Story About the Care Packages I Sent to a War Zone, and the Medic Who Got to Unwrap My Husband Instead Read More

The balloons were already taped to the mailbox. “Happy Retirement!” they shouted in cheerful gold foil. I stood in the kitchen, icing the cake, feeling a deep, quiet sense of …

Title: The Solitary Sunset: A Story About the Day We Finally Paid Off the Mortgage, and the Letter That Proved He Was Saving Up for a Single Ticket to Paradise Read More

The house was quiet, but it wasn’t peaceful. It was the heavy, suffocating silence of a room where someone used to be. It had been six months since we lost …

Title: The Living Reminder: A Story About the Husband Who Couldn’t Look Me in the Eye Because I Have Our Dead Son’s Smile Read More

The shovel hit the metal box with a dull thud. “Found it!” Mark grinned, wiping sweat from his forehead. He looked handsome in the late afternoon sun, the same way …

Title: The Ten-Year Fuse: A Story About the Anniversary Gift That Was Supposed to Be a Celebration, but Turned Out to Be a Confession Note from the Past Read More