The Divorce She Demanded

"Sarah, about that Chicago job…" Mark’s words echoed, triggering a chilling deja vu.

He was about to tell me my dream job, the history department head role in my hometown, had to be sacrificed for his needy sister-in-law, Jessica.

Twenty years ago, I acquiesced, losing my path, my husband, and ultimately, myself to Mark’s relentless prioritization of Jessica and the town’s pitying whispers. This time, my defiant "I'm taking the job" was met with accusations of selfishness and indifference from him, and feigned sweetness from her.