Page 41 of Bossy Hero

What do you say? A bad joke, for old times’ sake?

This is still my email if you ever want to talk.

And if you don’t, I hope you’re happy and healthy. You deserve to be happy, Maddie. Nothing he did to you was your fault.

YourAlan

(I say “your” because I’m not Alan for anyone else. Not making it creepy. Unless you want to make it creepy.)

* * *

A month later

To: ALancaster

From: justmaddie3

Subject: New Email

Hi Alan,

New life. New email. Third time’s the charm, perhaps? I think three is a lucky number for some people. Maybe it’ll be lucky for me as well.

Maddie

(newly divorced—yes, it’s official)

* * *

To: justmaddie3

From: ALancaster

Damn, Maddie. It’s great to hear from you. You have no idea what a sight for sore eyes your name in my inbox was. New email. Old email. Courier pigeon. Morse code. Any way you reach out is fine with me.

Did you get my email from last month in your old account? Or was this message totally unprompted?

So, new life, huh? Tell me everything.

And since you’re emailing me after three years, then I’d like to say that three is certainly a lucky number for me. It wasn’t always, but it is now.

Looking forward to reconnecting with my friend.

Alan

Chapter6

Flint and steel

Maddie

One year later - Maine

Sometimes, I’m my own worst enemy.

Scratch that. There’s nosometimesabout it.

I’ve perfected the fine art of self-sabotage so masterfully that even though I’m finally divorced, I’m still as miserable as when a monster lorded himself over my life. When every breath was a gift he allowed me to have. When each second was beholden to him. And choices werenotmine to make.

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