Rose



I had dreamed about the day I would be finally leaving him, breaking free from the suffocating chains that bound me. “I’m exhausted, Care, at least one of us is happy,” I confess, opening a cabinet filled with various wines. Taking a bottle, I open it and offer, “Do you want some?”

“It’s only 10 to 7, and you’re already drinking,” Care remarks concerned.

“I guess there’s more for me,” I say, taking a swig from the bottle. “You don’t need to feel sorry for me. You should head to your pastry shop.”

She steps closer, hugging me tightly. “Call me anytime, okay? And you’re right, I do have to go to the shop. There’s a big order I need to finish. Later, maybe I’ll go to a spa or something.” I force a weary smile and nod. “Of course.”

Watching Caroline leave, I place the wine bottle on the table and make my way upstairs to the bedroom that was once mine, but now it feels empty and hollow. The bed shows no signs of anyone having slept in it.

I enter the walk-in closet, grabbing my clothes and hastily packing them into a duffel bag, tearing them from the hangers. Among the 100 of shoes I have, I pick out three pairs that I frequently wear, realising how excessive my collection has become.

Searching for my passport, I find it and exit the bedroom, refusing to look back at the place where I once woke up with joy in my heart. Leaving the divorce papers on the kitchen island, I walk out of the house I had desperately tried to turn into a home but failed miserably. Carrying the duffel bag under my arm, I know I can’t stay there any longer. The coldness of this house has been eating away at my soul, and if I spend even one more night here, I fear what I might do to myself.

Instead of taking one of the cars, I decide to call an Uber. “To the airport,” I tell the driver after closing the door. If someone had asked me if this was the right decision, I might have hesitated, but deep down, I know this is what I need to do for myself. Staying in that suffocating environment would only lead me to a darker place.

When I finally board the plane to Mozambique, I feel a sense of relief wash over me. With each passing moment, I breathe a little easier. I did it—I finally took that leap into the unknown, breaking free from the chains of an unhappy life. As the plane takes off, I can’t help but feel a mix of uncertainty and hope for what awaits me in Mozambique.