FOR WHAT WAS NOT

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Melissa stared at the image in her inbox. It was a wedding invitation: of David and a woman named Catherine. She was not surprised that he was getting married; far from that. She was, however, surprised that she felt hurt and betrayed. She could feel her heart ripping apart the longer she stared at the invitation card. She laughed mirthlessly at her own reaction: how could she feel betrayed? David was a flesh-and-blood man, she knew that. He had needs that must be met. What did she expect, that he would pine for her till the end of the world? Ha!

Melissa tried to fathom why it hurt her to see that David had found someone else. It had been five years since they ended their relationship, or better, since she had called things off with him. She had even gone ahead to get married and have two healthy children with Morris. It was funny that she felt hurt and betrayed. Or, could it be that she had not gotten over David completely? Melissa shook her head at that thought.

She went over the main reason she had decided to end things with David: he had been verbally abusive. Sometimes, he would apologize to her for his utterances. Other times which were more often, he would find excuses for the horrible things he said. She had always told him that she felt disrespected by his behavior. His usual response had been: ‘Whores need no respect.’ He would then laugh and apologize again for saying that. For how long could she have lived with such verbal abuses when – or if – they had continued their relationship? Had he changed for the better? Or was he still using those words? Or, was she the only person whom he had decided did not need his respect? Melissa could not bear to think of such things. They were beginning to give her a migraine. She was surely better off without him.

She thought of her sweet Morris, who at the moment had gone to the market to get supplies for the family. Morris had been nothing but kind and generous towards her. He had never used any abusive word since they met, and he was always willing to hear her opinion on matters even unrelated to her and her field of work. He had shown, and still shows, commitment and dedication towards her and their children. He was everything she ever hoped to have in a husband. What more did she want?

She smiled and rubbed her seven-month-old bump. Surely, she had made the right choice in this matter. She looked at the invitation again and smiled sadly. Perhaps, a part of her would always love David, perhaps she might never be able to completely get over him. But she would never let go of the blessing she found in Morris. That is all that matters now, isn’t it?