“I found a place,” Sarah said. “In Blackwood Ridge.”
Linda burst out laughing, spilling tea onto her saucer. “Blackwood? The mosquito swamp? Oh, honey, you’re moving to the trailer park on the edge of town? That dump where they burn trash in barrels?”
“It’s affordable,” Sarah said simply.
“Oh, this is rich,” Mark chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re going to leave a warm house to live in a tin can with rats? Be my guest. But don’t come crawling back when you realize you can’t pay the rent.”
“I won’t,” Sarah said.
She pulled a thick envelope from her purse and placed it on the coffee table.
“What is this?” Linda snatched it up.
“Divorce papers,” Sarah said. “Uncontested. I’m asking for nothing. No alimony. No division of assets. I just want out. Today.”
Mark’s smirk faltered. He looked at the papers. “You… you really did this?”
“Sign it,” Linda hissed at Mark. “Sign it now before she changes her mind and tries to take your 401k. She’s bluffing, Mark. She thinks you’ll beg her to stay. Call her bluff. Let her rot in Blackwood.”
Mark looked at Sarah. He expected tears. He expected fear. He saw only a terrifying calm.
“Fine,” Mark sneered, grabbing a pen. “You want to be trash? Go be trash. But remember this moment, Sarah. Remember when you threw away a good man because you were too proud to follow rules.”
He signed the papers with an aggressive scrawl.
Sarah took the folder. She didn’t check it. She knew it was signed.
“Actually,” Sarah said, reaching into her purse again. She pulled out a heavy, cream-colored envelope embossed with gold leaf. “Since you’re so worried about my living conditions, why don’t you come see for yourselves? I’m having a housewarming party in three weeks.”
She handed the invitation to Linda.
