Chapter 1

1

I caught Mark with one of his students again.

I just lost it and trashed the house.

Mark's mom, she's got the nerve to tell me I'm too weak to keep my man in line.

His sister, Brenda, she says I deserve it.

I'm done. I'm getting a divorce.

But Mark, that low-life, dangles the kids in front of me.

So, like a sucker, I cave. I stay for the kids.

And I spend the next forty years regretting it.

Mark fools around his whole life, and I'm the one who takes care of him.

And guess what? The bum dies peacefully in his sleep.

Me? I work my tail off for everyone, and my kids end up hating me.

I wind up sick and alone, dying in some crummy rented apartment.

Then, boom. Like a miracle, I wake up, and I'm back.

Back before the divorce.

...

I open my eyes, and Mark's mom, that witch, is already spitting mad.

"Susan, you think you can wreck my house? You got another thing comin'!"

"So he's chatting with some student. So what? You're acting like a crazy woman! You have no manners!"

"You can't keep a man happy, and now you're blaming him? Serves you right!"

"Go ahead, divorce him. My son's a college professor. You're just a housewife. You're going to be the town bicycle, Susan. I wanna see who's gonna want a used woman like you."

"Mom, relax. She ain't gonna leave." That's Brenda, smirking like the Cheshire Cat.

She's the one who egged Mom on to slap me earlier.

"Just try messing with things again, I dare you."

My father-in-law, sitting in his wheelchair, his mouth all twisted, mumbles, "Hit her. Hit her."

He's telling Mark to lay a hand on me.

My face is still stinging from the slap. I look over and see Mark glued to the TV, not even looking at me.

I ask him, "Your mom wants me to divorce you. Are you in?"

Mark doesn't even glance up. "Whatever. Do what you want."

I say, "Fine. I agree to the divorce. I'll meet you at the courthouse tomorrow."

Mark laughs. "Sure, divorce. But you ain't taking the kids. And there ain't no savings to split. You're gonna walk away with nothing!"

Here we go again.