Chapter 15 - Ethan’s MarriageEthan began therapy.
Not because he wanted the marriage saved.
Because he needed to understand how he missed so much.
His therapist asked:
“What did you believe a successful remarriage required?”
“Patience.”
“What else?”
“Not comparing Melanie to Anna.”
“Did you?”
“Constantly.”
“Out loud?”
“Rarely.”
“In your head?”
“Yes.”
Ethan admitted he kept Anna’s traditions.
Anna’s staff.
Anna’s house.
Anna’s holiday routines.
He told Melanie she was not replacing anyone.
True.
But he never asked what role she was supposed to build for herself.
He expected her to fit into a structure shaped before she arrived.
That was unfair.
Then he made the next distinction.
“None of that made her lock Claire downstairs.”
Correct.
Two truths.
The marriage could have contained failures on both sides.
The abuse of power remained Melanie’s choice.
That separation prevented Ethan from making the opposite mistake now.
He would not turn Melanie into a monster so he could avoid examining himself.
He would also not turn himself into the cause of her conduct so she could avoid accountability.
May you like
Adults often preferred one clean villain.
Reality rarely cooperated.
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