Chapter 1
After three years of marriage, Thaddeus Pierce still hasn’t legally registered our marriage.
Today marks his thousandth successful flight a milestone celebration that was supposed to end with us finally registering our marriage, his seventeenth promise to do so.
At the celebration banquet, while his supervisors kept toasting me, Thaddeus was busy sharing dishes and drinks with his student pilot, Scarlett. Despite my high fever and near fainting from all the drinking, he didn’t spare me a single glance. My colleagues” pitying looks said it all – everyone could see who I was suffering for.
After the banquet, instead of heading to the registry as planned, Thaddeus broke his promise again. At his car, he stopped me from getting in.
“Scarlett had too much to drink on my behalf. I need to take her home. Take a cab back,” he said. “We’ll have to postpone the registration. Another day.”
Without waiting for my response, he rushed to help Scarlett into the passenger seat. Eight years of dating, three years of marriage, and this was the seventeenth time he’d postponed our legal registration because of Scarlett.
Usually, I would have broken down crying, demanding to know who his real wife was, who had really been drinking on his behalf. But this time, I just smiled softly and said, “Of course. Drive
safely.”
Thaddeus seemed surprised by my calm response but quickly reverted to his cold demeanor. “I“ll
buy you something nice to make up for it when I get home.”
Before driving away, he carefully closed Scarlett’s window, protecting her from the wind in her drunken state. I remembered how he used to insist on keeping the windows open when I’d been
drinking, even in winter, claiming he couldn’t stand the smell of alcohol in his car. Now I understood.
– it was just because it was me.
The San Francisco noon sun was scorching, but my heart felt ice cold. I took a deep breath and put the marriage certificate application back in my bag. After eight years, it was time to let go.
That afternoon, I returned to Pan American Airways office and submitted my resignation. My supervisor was shocked – I’d been the top–rated flight attendant for seven consecutive years.
“Does Thaddeus know about this?” he asked.
Unspoken Farewell at 30.000 Feet
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hapter
I smiled bitterly. “I“ll tell him tonight, though I doubt he’ll care.”
You two were the company’s dream couple,” my supervisor sighed. “Flying new routes together, winning awards, even the CEO attended your wedding three years ago. Everyone envied you…”
Yes, those were beautiful memories. But memories are just memories – you can never go back.
It was past 10 PM when I got home. The house was eerily quiet and empty. Then Scarlett’s social media post popped up on my phone – she’d tagged me specifically:
“Thanks to my mentor for spending the afternoon with me. As a treat, taking him to Coldplay’s concert tomorrow! Can’t wait!”
knew Thaddeus wouldn’t be coming home tonight. It had happened countless times in our three years of marriage.
After microwaving a frozen pizza, I opened my email…
