Chapter 8 After leaving the Reyes estate , I returned home one last time . The house felt different now every treasured memory tainted by betrayal . The family photos on the walls , Milas drawings on the fridge , even Callums coffee mug on the counter they all seemed to belong to another womans life now . I packed methodically : two outfits , important documents , my mothers necklace . Everything else would stay behind . Seven years of memories , seven years of what I thought was love all abandoned like outdated furniture . 4 The ticket to Chicago felt like a lifeline in my wallet . A fresh start in a city where nobody knew me as Callum Reyes wife or Milas mother . As I wheeled my small suitcase toward the waiting taxi , my phone lit up with Callums call . They were probably still at the hospital , Sophies minor scratches being treated like life threatening wounds while my daughter played the devoted nurse . Chapter 8 After leaving the Reyes estate , I returned home one last time . The house felt different now every treasured memory tainted by betrayal . The family photos on the walls , Milas drawings on the fridge , even Callums coffee mug on the counter they all seemed to belong to another womans life now . I packed methodically : two outfits , important documents , my mothers necklace . Everything else would stay behind . Seven years of memories , seven years of what I thought was love all abandoned like outdated furniture . 4 The ticket to Chicago felt like a lifeline in my wallet . A fresh start in a city where nobody knew me as Callum Reyes wife or Milas mother . As I wheeled my small suitcase toward the waiting taxi , my phone lit up with Callums call . They were probably still at the hospital , Sophies minor scratches being treated like life threatening wounds while my daughter played the devoted nurse . I didnt want to hear his excuses or Milas rehearsed defense of her Aunt Sophie . I switched off the phone. Moving through airport security felt like crossing a threshold . Each step forward was a step away from the elaborate lie my life had become . On the plane , I took the window seat something Mila always claimed for herself on our family trips . As we took off , I watched Los Angeles shrink beneath me . The pressure in my chest began to ease , like a physical weight lifting . The bitter taste of betrayal , the ache of my daughters rejection , the humiliation of being the last to know all of it began to feel more distant with each passing mile . I knew then , with absolute certainty , that I could build a good life on my own . Sometimes the bravest thing isnt fighting for a broken marriage its knowing when to walk away . I switched off the phone. Moving through airport security felt like crossing a threshold . Each step forward was a step away from the elaborate lie my life had become . On the plane , I took the window seat something Mila always claimed for herself on our family trips . As we took off , I watched Los Angeles shrink beneath me . The pressure in my chest began to ease , like a physical weight lifting . The bitter taste of betrayal , the ache of my daughters rejection , the humiliation of being the last to know all of it began to feel more distant with each passing mile . I knew then , with absolute certainty , that I could build a good life on my own . Sometimes the bravest thing isnt fighting for a broken marriage its knowing when to walk away . Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!