The Ghost in My House Was Me - Chapter 5: Chapter 5
You are reading The Ghost in My House Was Me, Chapter 5: Chapter 5. Read more chapters of The Ghost in My House Was Me.
The noisy room falls dead silent. Kevin finally lifts his head to look at me.
His eyes are sharp, clear—predictably so.
In seven years of marriage, no matter how vicious our fights got, I had never once uttered the word "divorce."
Kevin knows me. Once my mind is made up, there's no changing it.
He jerks up from the leather couch, crossing the room in a few quick strides until he's right in front of me.
"Are you serious?"
Finally, he's looking me in the eye, talking to me like a normal person.
His gaze flicks down to Tommy, and his lips twist into a smirk.
"Haley, if you want a divorce, you're not getting custody. He'd rather stay with me anyway. Don't be ridiculous."
He's so sure I'll fight for our son. He's not stupid—he's seen the sacrifices I've made, the hell I've endured for Tommy over the years.
Tommy clings to his father, shooting me a resentful glare like I'm some monster about to drag him away.
"Mom, I don't want you. I want Dad."
That woman—her—steps forward too, lips curled in a mocking smile as she chimes in with fake concern.
"Sis, at your age, with no job or house, you really think you can win custody? Just take the kid home. Couples shouldn't go to bed angry."
My fingers tighten around the divorce papers.
I knew what I was walking into. But seeing their disgust, their dismissal, still makes my resolve waver.
No. I dig my nails into my palm.
Be ruthless. Don't cry. Tears mean something to people who love you. To everyone else? They're just entertainment.
"Kevin, don't worry." My voice is steady. "I don't want the kid. Or the house."
I drop the agreement onto the table, locking eyes with the smirking woman who thinks she's won.
"Kevin, you've forgotten. I used to be a lawyer—one who didn't lose. You begged me for this child. You promised me love, too. Now you've ruined him. You owe me."
The room reeks of alcohol. The second I step outside—
It's like a boulder's been lifted off my chest.
I can breathe again.
I wander the streets, directionless. Since Tommy was born, I've been drowning in diapers and dishes. How long has it been since I've just… walked?
A movie theater flickers in the distance.
His eyes are sharp, clear—predictably so.
In seven years of marriage, no matter how vicious our fights got, I had never once uttered the word "divorce."
Kevin knows me. Once my mind is made up, there's no changing it.
He jerks up from the leather couch, crossing the room in a few quick strides until he's right in front of me.
"Are you serious?"
Finally, he's looking me in the eye, talking to me like a normal person.
His gaze flicks down to Tommy, and his lips twist into a smirk.
"Haley, if you want a divorce, you're not getting custody. He'd rather stay with me anyway. Don't be ridiculous."
He's so sure I'll fight for our son. He's not stupid—he's seen the sacrifices I've made, the hell I've endured for Tommy over the years.
Tommy clings to his father, shooting me a resentful glare like I'm some monster about to drag him away.
"Mom, I don't want you. I want Dad."
That woman—her—steps forward too, lips curled in a mocking smile as she chimes in with fake concern.
"Sis, at your age, with no job or house, you really think you can win custody? Just take the kid home. Couples shouldn't go to bed angry."
My fingers tighten around the divorce papers.
I knew what I was walking into. But seeing their disgust, their dismissal, still makes my resolve waver.
No. I dig my nails into my palm.
Be ruthless. Don't cry. Tears mean something to people who love you. To everyone else? They're just entertainment.
"Kevin, don't worry." My voice is steady. "I don't want the kid. Or the house."
I drop the agreement onto the table, locking eyes with the smirking woman who thinks she's won.
"Kevin, you've forgotten. I used to be a lawyer—one who didn't lose. You begged me for this child. You promised me love, too. Now you've ruined him. You owe me."
The room reeks of alcohol. The second I step outside—
It's like a boulder's been lifted off my chest.
I can breathe again.
I wander the streets, directionless. Since Tommy was born, I've been drowning in diapers and dishes. How long has it been since I've just… walked?
A movie theater flickers in the distance.
End of The Ghost in My House Was Me Chapter 5. Continue reading Chapter 6 or return to The Ghost in My House Was Me book page.