Chapter 15 - I LEAVE TRAVIS
I moved out three days after the gala.
Not to Dad’s estate.
That mattered.
I owned a condominium downtown from before marriage.
I had rented it.
The tenant’s lease ended the previous month.
Furniture remained.
I moved there.
Dad offered:
“My east wing.”
“No.”
“Security.”
“I’ll hire my own.”
He looked wounded.
I ignored it.
Travis sent flowers.
I returned them.
He sent a letter.
I gave it to my lawyer unopened.
Then he requested a conversation through counsel.
I agreed to one supervised session with a marital therapist.
Not reconciliation.
Information.
Travis sat across from me.
His cheek? Marcello had not hit him. No injury.
He looked tired.
“I’m sorry.”
“For?”
“The slap.”
“Only that?”
He stared.
Then:
“For acting like marriage gave me a right to your agreement.”
Better.
Then:
“I thought your father controlled you.”
“He sometimes tried.”
“And you never saw it.”
“I saw it.”
“Then why did you defend him?”
“I didn’t.”
Travis stopped.
“You rejected me.”
“Yes.”
Different.
I continued:
“You wanted my father’s control replaced by yours.”
May you like
He looked down.
For the first time, I think he heard it.
