My new routine is simple.
Wake up.
Stretch.
Make coffee.
And not think about Belinda.
The coffee part's easy.
The last one's a little trickier.
Every now and then, I'll pass her old mug in the cabinet.
The one that says Boss Lady.
I don't throw it away.
It reminds me to never ignore red flags just because they're printed on ceramic.
People keep asking, "Do you regret it? The marriage? The whole messy ending?"
I tell them the truth.
Sure.
I regret the years I spent giving CPR to something that was already dead.
But the ending?
No.
Best plot twist of my life.
I still talk to Mrs. Delgado sometimes.
She calls occasionally just to check if I'm "emotionally solvent."
Her words, not mine.
Tar, on the other hand, won't shut up about turning my story into a podcast.
Heartbreak and Hard Drives.
His working title.
I told him to wait until the restraining orders, hypothetical ones, work better too.
Turns out when you remove daily chaos from your life, productivity skyrockets.
Who knew?
I've even started jogging again.
Not for fitness.
Just to prove to myself I can run away from something without emotional baggage this time.
Belinda?
Last I heard, she's "finding herself."
Translation: jobless, carless, and probably allergic to accountability.
Her boss got demoted after the birthday fiasco went viral.
Thank you, internet.
Actions have consequences.
And apparently Yelp reviews.
The best part of my mornings now is the small stuff.
My pancakes don't burn.
My Wi-Fi connects instantly.
My peace of mind has a password only I know.
Sometimes I'll look at Milo and say, "Buddy, you're the only one I'd share my passwords with."
And he just blinks like, Damn right.
There's something liberating about rebuilding your life without needing permission.
I used to think revenge was the reward.
But it isn't.
Peace is.
Revenge just makes the story entertaining.
Peace gives it a happy ending.
Every weekend, I sit on the porch with a cup of coffee and a sense of humor sharp enough to cut through nostalgia.
Sometimes I even laugh remembering her line.
"I'd do it again."
And yeah, I believe her.
But I'd do it again, too.
The part where I walked away.
Because now the only thing I wake up next to is my own damn sanity.
And it doesn't lie, cheat, or need Wi-Fi to feel loved.