He didn’t even look up from his coffee when he said it: “You’re not worth the effort anymore. I can’t believe I wasted fifteen years on someone so mediocre.” I kept chewing like I hadn’t heard a thing, but inside, something snapped into place—quiet and permanent. I smiled, wiped my mouth, and thought, Okay. If I’m so “mediocre,” you won’t notice me leaving… until it’s too late.
My husband, Mark, insulted me the way some people comment on the weather—casual, bored, like it didn’t matter. It was Saturday breakfast. The kids were still asleep. Sunlight hit the kitchen tile, and Mark sat across from me in his gym shirt, scrolling his phone like I was background noise. He took a sip of…