The gym became incredibly successful, to the point where we had a waiting list for memberships. Marcus and I fell deeply in love, a quiet, secure kind of love that I had never experienced with Joseph.

On Leo’s first birthday, Marcus got down on one knee in the middle of our living room and asked me to marry him.

For the first time in a long time, my tears were completely happy. I never looked back. I didn’t check social media to see how Joseph and Chloe were doing. I didn’t care. They were ghosts to me. Until a rainy Tuesday afternoon, one year after Leo was born.

I was at the gym, standing near the front reception desk talking to Marcus, who had stopped by for lunch. Leo was sitting in his high chair behind the counter, happily babbling and throwing Cheerios onto the floor. I was wearing my engagement ring, a tailored athletic set, and I felt strong.

I felt genuinely happy. The heavy glass doors of the gym pushed open. I looked up to greet the potential new client, and my heart completely stopped in my chest. It was Joseph. He looked terrible. The confident, arrogant man who had sat on my gray sectional was gone.

He looked exhausted, older, and carrying an extra twenty pounds. His clothes were slightly rumpled, and he had dark circles under his eyes. He didn’t see me at first. He was looking down at a flyer in his hand. “Hi, I just moved to the area and heard this was the best facility around.

I was wondering if—” He looked up. The words died in his throat. For a long, agonizing moment, neither of us moved. The color completely drained from his face as his eyes darted over me.

He took in my confident posture, the sleek, high-end gym that belonged to me, and the massive diamond sparkling on my left hand.

Then, his gaze shifted to the man standing next to me. Marcus, who was tall, protective, and looking at Joseph with polite confusion.