two options: sign the divorce papers or try to save the marriage.

even though Nicole wanted to explode and walk away from everything, she decided to give couples therapy a chance. according to what she’d read, it was the right thing to do.

still, the first session was a disaster. she didn’t cooperate at all. In response, the therapist suggested an alternative —write a letter listing good things about each other to remember why they fell in love in the first place. they’d read them next time.

you knew this wasn’t going to work the moment you walked into the office and saw Nicole. the air felt heavy, almost unbearable. she sat stiffly in her chair, legs crossed, wearing a look that screamed how much she hated being there. beneath that, exhaustion and stress—too much of both.

“I’m not gonna read this out loud because I don’t like what I wrote,” she simply said. her jaw was clenched, holding back the urge to blow everything up. no one was going to change her mind.