Chapter 8 - The Final Decree
The final divorce hearing took place seven months after the incident in the hospital room.
The courtroom in Arlington was quiet and formal. The judge, a stern woman with graying hair, reviewed the settlement agreement signed by both parties.
Mason sat across the aisle from me. He looked smaller now, stripped of the arrogance and expensive suits that had once defined him. He wore a simple navy blazer, his hair thinned, his posture slumped. He didn't look at me once during the thirty-minute proceeding.
"The court finds that the marital settlement agreement is fair, equitable, and properly accounts for the restitution owed to the plaintiff," the judge announced, her gavel resting on its block. "The marriage between Nora Hayes and Mason Hayes is hereby dissolved."
Clack.
The sharp sound of the gavel echoed through the room, signaling the official end of seven years of marriage.
As we walked out into the hallway, Mason finally turned to me. "Nora."
I stopped, looking at him calmly. "Mason."
"I... I just wanted to say I'm sorry," he stammered, his eyes glassy. "I ruined everything. I know that now."
"You did," I agreed plainly. "You chose the easy path when things got difficult, Mason. When I was deployed, when I was injured, when I was fighting just to take three steps without falling. You thought I was weak because I was broken."
"I was stupid," he whispered.
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"No," I said, taking a step closer, standing tall without my cane. "You were selfish. But I’m not angry at you anymore, Mason. Anger takes energy, and I have a job to do."
I turned and walked toward the exit, my steps firm and measured against the marble floor, leaving him standing alone in the long corridor.
