“You always do this,” he said.
“Do what?”
“Act as if you’re the only person who has sacrificed anything in this marriage.”
I felt a sharp pain in my chest.
“I gave you my trust.”
“And I gave you a life!”
“I built that life with you.”
“You would have nothing without me.”
The words hung in the air.
For a moment, I was no longer looking at the man who had shared my bed for eighteen years. I was looking at someone who believed that everything I had contributed could be erased whenever he needed to feel powerful.
Then I remembered my mother’s words.
Never let anyone convince you that love means giving up your right to protect yourself.
I straightened in my chair.
“You’re right about one thing, Sean. We built a life together. That’s why I won’t let you destroy it by making me responsible for something I didn’t authorize.”
