Apparently, Julian had started seeing another woman while he was still meeting Bianca. Bianca found out after the divorce was already underway. She confronted him, and he stopped answering her calls. That wasn't my problem. Three months after I discovered the affair, I signed the final divorce documents.
Bianca was sitting across from me in Caroline's office. She looked at the papers for a long time. "That's it? " she asked. I put my pen down. "Yes. " "We were married for 5 months. " "I know. " "Doesn't that bother you? " "It bothers me that it lasted only 5 months. " She looked at me.
"What do you mean? " "I thought I was marrying someone who understood commitment. " Her eyes filled with tears. "I made a terrible mistake. " "You made several. " She nodded. "I know. " For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then she asked, "Do you hate me? " "No. " She seemed surprised. "I don't hate you. " "Then why can't you forgive me? " "Forgiveness and reconciliation aren't the same thing. " She looked down.
"I still love you. " I stood. "I don't feel the same way anymore. " That was the first time I saw her accept that I wasn't coming back. Outside the office, I walked toward my car. Bianca followed me to the sidewalk. "Spencer. " I turned.
She stood there holding her purse, looking smaller than she had when we arrived. "I really am sorry. " "I believe you. " "That's all? " "That's all. " I got into my car and closed the door. I didn't look back. For months, I had wondered what I would feel when the divorce became official. The answer surprised me.
Nothing dramatic, just relief. I started the engine and drove away. But I didn't know yet that the final conversation with Bianca was still ahead of me. Six months after the divorce, my life was quieter than it had been in years. I had moved into a townhouse on the north side of Austin.
I changed my morning routine, started going to the gym before work, and spent most weekends with friends instead of sitting around the apartment wondering what Bianca was doing. I didn't ask. That chapter was finished. Then one Thursday evening, I received an email from her. She wanted to meet.
I almost deleted it. Instead, I agreed to one conversation. We met at a coffee shop near my office. Bianca was already there when I arrived. She looked different, not broken, just tired.
"Thank you for coming. " she said. I sat across from her. "You have 10 minutes. " She gave a small nervous smile. "You're still direct. " "I don't have much to say. " "I know. " She looked down at her coffee. "I wanted to apologize without asking for anything. " I said nothing.
"I ruined our marriage. " she continued. "And I know saying sorry doesn't fix it. " "No, it doesn't. " "I thought I could keep Julian separate from my life with you. " "You couldn't. " "I know that now. " She took a breath. "I also know something else. " I waited. "I didn't lose you because you weren't good enough. I lost you because I wasn't honest. " That was the first thing she had said that I completely agreed with.
I stood. She looked up. "That's all? " "That's all. " She nodded. "Are you happy? " I thought about the question. "Yes. " Her eyes moved toward the wedding ring I no longer wore.
"With someone else? " "Not yet. " She looked surprised. "I'm not looking for someone to replace you. " I picked up my jacket. "I'm just building a life I actually want. " She nodded slowly. "Do you ever think about our wedding? " "Sometimes. " "Do you regret it? " I considered that.
"No. " She looked confused. "How can you not regret it? " "Because I learned something important. " "What? " "Who someone is before marriage matters less than what they choose to do once they're committed. " She lowered her eyes. I walked toward the door. Five months after our wedding, I had caught my wife cheating with the man she had once loved.
At the time, I thought I had lost the future I wanted. I hadn't. I had lost a marriage built on a lie, and that was different. I walked outside into the evening traffic and kept going.
I I need revenge. I didn't need Bianca to regret what she had done. She had already given me the only thing I needed, the truth. And once I had it, walking away was the easiest decision I ever made.