Leave and never return.
Sam, I saw an advert last night for a threebedroom flat in the suburb weve always wanted, Kate said, her eyes bright with hope. We have enough saved for it, dont we? We could sell the house and help Tara pay off her mortgage. Lets go see it. She stared at her husband with eager anticipation, but he waved her off, weary.
Not today, he replied. I was finishing a report until midnight yesterday, and Ill be working late again tonight. Ill probably get home late. He gulped the last of his coffee, grabbed the car keys and a folder of papers, and left the house.
Kate sighed, not wanting to argue. She disliked how Sam had been rarely home lately, arriving late even on weekends, though his salary was good. Kate longed to move to the city, closer to her daughter. They had been saving for years, putting every pound Sam earned into a bank account while living on his mothers pension and Kates wages. Kate worked as the manager of the local community centre and ran a dance club. It was a hard life, but living in the city near her daughter and working in a grand cultural centre had always been her dream, so she was willing to endure.
Sam and Kate had met in the county town while Sam was in his final year at university and Kate was at a dance academy. They fell in love so quickly that, as soon as Sam got his degree, they married and moved to his village. Kate left her studies after a year, but she never regretted ither husband was now her lawful partner, and she was certain they would share a long, happy life together.
Their marriage, however, was not smooth. Almost immediately after moving in, Sam was called up for a year of National Service. Kate was already upset about the impending separation, and then Sams mother, Margaret, arrived. From the moment Margaret saw her son with a wife instead of alone, she despised Kate. She scarcely spoke to Sam, and the only thing she said to him at their meeting was, You promised!
Kate tried to win her over, taking on any chores, but nothing worked.
Why didnt you talk to your mother before I arrived? What did you promise her? Why does she hate me? Kate pressed Sam.
Sam explained that two years earlier his sister had died at seventeen after a reckless romance with a young man fresh out of prison. The boyfriend was drunk when they rode a motorcycle to a neighbouring village; he lost control, killing his sister and landing back in jail for a long term. After the funeral, Margaret forced Sam to swear never to marry without her blessing. He broke that promise, and his mother felt betrayed.
Sam wondered whether Kate should live with Margaret, but Kate declared she would not leave because she loved him and wanted to befriend his mother.
She succeeded. Within weeks Margarets heart softened. Kate proved herself diligent, cheerful, and kind. Margaret could not deny that Sam had chosen a worthy wife. The sincerity of Kates love for Sam and her longing for him softened the older woman, and she began to accept her as a daughter.
Kate also told Margaret that her own mother had died eleven years earlier, and her father had raised her alone until he remarried a woman with two small children. The stepmother made it clear that Kate, now an adult, would have to fend for herself.
Dont think I married Sam because of all that, Kate blushed under Margarets stern gaze. I got a place in a hostel, a scholarship for excellent gradesI would have survived. I cant live without Sam; I love him, truly love him.
Margarets frown melted into tears of both sorrow and relief. She embraced Kate, feeling an unexpected lightness, as if some of her longheld grief had lifted.
A year later Sam returned, taking a job at the district office and commuting daily on shift. Kate became a programme organiser at the local arts club, leading the dance group. Their salaries were modest, and later their daughter Tara was born. Money was tight, but Margaret helped them, caring for her granddaughter and never holding back.
Soon Sam moved to a reputable firm, travelling for business, and climbing the corporate ladder. His pay multiplied, and the small village club was replaced by a spacious cultural centre where Kate was appointed manager. She never abandoned her dance troupe, taking the girls to competitions where they often won prizes. Their lives grew comfortable: they bought a nice car, renovated their home, and vacationed on the coast.
Everything seemed perfect until Tara left for university in the county town and got married. Kate missed her daughter and recalled her dream of working in a grand city cultural palace. She suggested to Sam that they save to buy a flat in the city where Tara lived, sell their house, and help Tara finish her mortgage. Sam thought it over, then agreed, noting that the firm had a branch there and he could transfer. He warned that they would have to put his whole salary into savings, living on Margarets pension and Kates earnings. The whole family agreed, and they began to save.
Life became noticeably harder, but Kate did not complain; she had never been spoiled. Sam, however, started staying later and later at work, citing extra responsibilities that paid more. Kate trusted him, yet the growing distance unsettled her. When she hesitantly raised the issue, Sam snapped:
I work from dawn till dusk to earn more, and youll question me? Decidedo you want me beside you or a flat near Tara? Do you want a grandchild to visit by bus? Just bear it.
Kate endured in silence, but the tension grew. One night Sam returned at half past one, and Kate finally said she no longer wanted to move, that she was willing to stay as before if only Sam would be home in the evenings so they could spend time together. Sam listened, stripped, and went to bed facing the wall. The next day he arrived even later.
Then Sam vanished. He left for work in the morning and never came back. His phone was switched off, and Kate could not reach any of his colleagues. Panicked, she called the morgue and hospitals, then, sleepless and terrified, decided to travel to the city where he worked.
As she packed, Margaret stood nearby, her face drawn and sleepless.
Dont worry, Mother, hell be found, alive, Kate said as calmly as she could, hugging her. She tried to reassure herself, but tears welled, her throat tightened, and she whispered, Hell be found, I know it.
A familiar voice called out from a bus stop. Hey, you heading into town? We could go together. You buying a new car, right? Maybe you could sell yours cheap?
What are you talking about? Kate asked, bewildered.
Sam withdrew a huge sum from his savings account at the bank a few days ago. I saw it when I paid the council tax, the friend replied. Didnt you know?
Kate went pale. Something must have happened to Sam because of that money. She rushed to his office, only to learn from the receptionist that he had recently left the firm. He moved to another job, but no one knows where, they said.
Determined, Kate went to the police to report her husband missing. The officers took her statement seriously, recorded her concerns, and promised to start a search.
The next day a police officer called her in.
Why didnt you tell us youd divorced three months ago? That changes everything. Perhaps he simply left without informing you. You didnt find any of his papers at home, right? He took everything with him?
Kate stared at the officer, wondering if hed mixed her up with another case. He showed her a copy of a divorce decree and a marriage certificate from the registry office. Kate was stunned; she had no idea what was happening.
When she returned home, she told Margaret everything. Upon hearing of the divorce, Margaret gasped, clamping her hands over her mouth.
What? Kate asked, breathless.
Im sorry, its my fault, Margaret whispered, trembling. Sam told me that there were court summons in your name for a loan the scammers used against you. He asked me to hide them so you wouldnt be upset. He promised a good judge would sort it out. I didnt know it would end in a divorce. He forged the papers.
Did he really trick me into a divorce? Where is he? What happened to him? Kate cried, sinking onto the sofa.
Morning he texted me that hes left with another woman; theyll marry soon, Margaret confessed, tears streaming. He took all the moneyhis salary too. She sobbed, I thought Id go into a care home and leave it all to you, hoping youd forgive me.
Kate rose, stepped outside, and stood in the cold yard, shaking as if from an icy wind that seemed to rise from within her own soul. She remembered planting lilacs and birch trees by the fence with Sam years ago, the sturdy trunks that had outgrown their marriage. She recalled winter evenings sledding with their little daughter, the time a pig escaped from the farm and the whole family chased it, laughing. The memories flooded her and she began to weep.
I wont let you go, Mother, she said firmly, returning inside. Yes, Sam betrayed me, but you did not. I love you as a mother, and I know you would never hurt me. She embraced Margaret, both crying.
Later that evening, Kate and Margaret called Tara and told her everything. Tara was horrified by her fathers actions and swore never to forgive him. She then offered her grandparents a place to live with her.
I had a surprise for you later, but now we need you. Were expecting twins, so we need you, Grandma. Sell your house and move into our threebedroom flat. There will be room for everyone. Will you come?
Kate and Margaret looked at each other, tears turning into smiles. They agreed.
Sam did visit the city once, but Tara never let him inside the flat. Perhaps he hoped to return to the family, perhaps not, but no one was waiting for him nownot even his mother.
In the end, Kate learned that clinging to bitterness only deepens the wound, while forgiveness and the willingness to build new bonds can turn sorrow into strength. True peace comes not from wealth or revenge, but from the courage to love even after being hurt.
