My Wife And Her Friends Thought It Would Be Funny To Leave Me Stranded In Another State. LET’S SEE..

I stood there in the blinding Colorado Sun squinting at the empty spot where our car had been just 10 minutes ago my wife chloi and her friends Ela Stephanie and Lauren had vanished at first I thought it was one of their stupid pranks they were always doing stuff like this pushing boundaries testing how much I'd take before I snapped 5 years of marriage and I'd gotten used to their little games the way they'd laugh at me the way chloee would join in instead of standing up for me but this this felt different my phone was

still plugged into the car charger my wallet tucked in the glove box all I had was The Faded t-shirt and jeans I was wearing and a growing pit in my stomach as the minutes ticked by we've been on this road trip to Stephanie's lakeh house for 3 days now and I'd been miserable the whole time Chloe had begged me to come said it' be a chance to bond with her crew I wasn't big on the idea her friends always treated me like an outsider tossing out Jabs and inside jokes I wasn't part of but I

went anyway because I loved her or at least I thought I did the gas station was in the middle of nowhere just a Dusty little stop off the highway with a flickering sign and a single pump I'd gone inside to use the bathroom figuring they'd wait they always waited except this time they didn't an hour passed I paced the cracked pavement kicking Pebbles telling myself they'd come back any second tires crunching gravel Khloe's voice calling out gotcha but the road stayed quiet 2 hours in sweat was dripping down my neck and my throat was dry

I kept replaying the last few days in my head the way Stephanie smirked when she accidentally spilled coffee on my lap how Lauren whispered something to Khloe that made her giggle while glancing at me how isw just watched it all with that smug little grin I should have seen it coming they'v been building up to something and I'd been too dumb to notice a truck pulled up its engine rumbling loud enough to shake me out of my thoughts the driver a big guy with a gray beard and a stained ball cap leaned out the window

you okay buddy been standing there a while his voice was rough but kind and it hit me like a punch I wasn't okay they weren't coming back Chloe wasn't coming back I swallowed hard trying to keep my voice steady yeah on my ride left me you think you could help he nodded like it wasn't the first time he'd seen someone stranded out here hop in where you headed I didn't even know home back to Chloe the life we built but as I climbed into the cab something shifted inside me 5 years of her laughing at

me brushing me off letting her friends treat me like garbage it all came rushing up hot and heavy I stared out the window as the gas station shrank in the side mirror the trucker didn't ask too many questions just kept driving humming some old country song My Hands clenched into fists on my lap I could have borrowed his phone called chloee demanded answers but what would she say it was a joke babe don't be so sensitive I'd heard it all before every time I complained about her friends she'd roll her eyes and tell me I

didn't get their humor maybe I didn't maybe I never would but standing there alone abandoned like some stray dog I realized something they didn't get me either and Chloe she'd picked them over me again and again the trucker dropped me off at a crossroad pointing me toward Grand Junction the nearest town good luck man he said tipping his cap I nodded my throat tight and started walking my shoes scuffed the dirt the sun beating down on my head no phone no money no plan just me and the open road part of me wanted to turn

back to beg someone at the gas station to call her to fix this but another part A louder part kept pushing me forward I was dun being the punchline dun being the guy they laughed at Chloe and her friends thought they'd won thought they broken me but as I trudged toward Grand Junction a strange calm settled over me they hadn't broken me they'd Set Me Free I didn't know what was waiting for me in that town I didn't know how I'd eat where I'd sleep or how I'd get by with nothing but for the first

time in years I wasn't scared of what Khloe would think I wasn't worried about her friend's next move I was alone yeah but I wasn't helpless the road stretched out ahead endless and empty and I kept walking they'd left me behind but maybe that was the best thing they could have done maybe this was my chance to figure out who I was without her without them by the time the sun started dipping low turning the sky orange I'd made up my mind I wasn't going back not to Chloe not to that life whatever came next

it was mine to build I stood at that Dusty Crossroad where the trucker dropped me off the Colorado wind kicking up little swirls of dirt around my feet Grand Junction was somewhere ahead but I didn't have a map a phone or a dime to my name just the clothes on my back and a head full of spinning thoughts Chloe and her friends had left me high and dry and part of me still wanted to find a way to call her to hear her voice to demand she turned the car around but then I remembered how

she'd laughed when Stephanie accidentally knocked my beer over at the lake house how she'd Shrugged when I asked her to stick up for me 5 years of that 5 years of feeling like a guest in my own marriage no I wasn't calling her not this time I started walking toward Town my sneakers crunching on the gravel the sun was still high baking the ground and sweat soaked through my shirt I didn't know how far Grand Junction was Miles probably but I didn't care every step felt like a choice like I was leaving her behind one

footprint at a time my mind kept drifting back to the gas station to the moment I stepped out of that grimy bathroom and saw nothing but empty pavement they planned it hadn't they Chloe Stephan Ela Lauren all giggling in the car as they peeled out thinking it' be hilarious to ditch me I could almost hear chlo saying he'll figure it out he always does well I was figuring it out now just not the way she expected a pickup truck rumbled by and I stuck out my thumb hoping for a lift the driver a guy with

a scruffy beard and a faded flannel shirt slowed down and leaned out the window need a ride he asked eyeing me like he wasn't sure if I was TR yeah heading to Grand Junction I said keeping my voice steady he nodded hop in I'm going that way I climbed into the passenger seat grateful for the break the cab smelled like oil and cigarettes but it beat walking what's your story he asked as we rolled down the highway I hesitated then Shrugged got left behind by some people I thought I could trust he grunted like he'd

heard that one before happens more than you'd think out here he dropped me off on the edge of Grand Junction near a cluster of low buildings and a blinking traffic light take care man he said and drove off I stood there taking it in a small town with a mix of Old Brick storefronts and newer chain stores people going about their day like nothing was wrong but everything was wrong for me no wallet no ID no way to prove who I was I needed help and fast I spotted a sign for a homeless shelter a

few blocks down a plain building with a cross painted on the side my stomach twisted Ed at the thought me in a shelter but what choice did I have inside it was dim and smelled like bleach and stale coffee a guy behind the counter looked up Roy his name tag said he was older maybe 50 with a shaved head and a non-nonsense stare you lost or just broke he asked sizing me up both I admitted rubbing the back of my neck got ditched out on the highway no money no phone nothing Roy didn't blink happens

you got a name yeah uh Mike I said figuring it was easier to stick to the truth for now he handed me a clipboard with a form fill this out we'll get you a bed for the night tomorrow we'll figure out the rest that night I lay on a cot in a room full of snoring strangers staring at the ceiling my mind wouldn't shut off Khloe's face kept popping up her voice her laugh I wanted to hate her but part of me still ACH for her to show up to say it was all a mistake

but Roy's words stuck with me tomorrow we'll figure out the rest he didn't mess around the next morning he sat me down with a cup of weak coffee and a plan you need ID to do anything job bank whatever takes time but we'll start the process meantime you need cash I nodded feeling useless no anywhere hiring I asked Roy smirked there's a diner down the street owner's a tough old broad named Jacqueline tell her I sent you the the diner was a squat little place called Jackie with red vinyl booths and a Juke boox in

the corner Jacqueline was behind the counter a wiry woman in her 60s with tattoos snaking up her arms and a voice like gravel Roy says you need work she said not even looking up from wiping the counter yeah I do I replied shifting on my feet anything you got she squinted at me like she was trying to see through me dishwasher quit yesterday pays crap hours are long you steal from me you're dead start now I blinked caught off guard but nodded okay I'm in she tossed me an apron and just like that I was

scrubbing plates in the back hot water soaking my hands it wasn't much but it was something something mine no Chloe no friends laughing at me just me and a stack of greasy dishes Roy checked in later that week help me file for a replacement ID you're doing all right Mike he said clapping me on the shoulder I wasn't so sure but I kept going the shelter became my home Jacqueline's Diner my lifeline I didn't call Chloe didn't even try every night I fell asleep exhausted but it was a good kind of tired I was starting

over from nothing and it felt like maybe just maybe I could make it work I woke up on that cod in the shelter every morning with the same ache in my back the same Buzz of snores and coughs from the other guys around me it had been a couple of weeks since Chloe and her friends ditched me at that gas station and I was still getting used to this new life scrubbing dishes at Jacqueline's Diner sleeping on a borrowed bed wearing clothes from a donation bin my hands were raw from the hot water and soap

but I didn't mind it kept me busy kept my mind off her Roy had been a rock helping me navigate the mess of getting a replacement ID takes time he' said handing me a stack of forms but you'll get there I nodded grateful for his Gruff kindness and kept pushing forward the diner was my world now Jacqueline didn't mess around she' bark orders from the counter her sharp eyes catching every mistake move faster Mike we ain't got all day she'd yell but there was no real venom in it I worked double shifts whenever I could

piling up cash in a little envelope I stashed under my cot my first paycheck wasn't much but it was enough to buy a cheap prepaid phone from the gas station down the street I held it in my hands the plastic still shiny and felt Rush of something like Pride it wasn't fancy but it was mine bought with my own money not Chloe's not anyone else's I didn't need her anymore then the call started I'd only had the phone a day when it buzzed in my pocket while I was elbow deep in Suds I wiped my

hands on my apron and pulled it out Chloe's number flashed on the screen my stomach dropped I let it ring watching it like it might bite me until it went to voicemail a minute later the notification popped up I shouldn't have listened but I did her voice came through soft and shaky like she'd been practicing what to say Mike where are you we waited for you it was just a joke we're so worried please call me back I stood there staring at the sink the water still running worried they'd left me in the middle of

nowhere with nothing if they'd waited they'd have come back by now the phone buzzed again Stephanie this time I hit play on her voicemail and her tone was totally different all smug and casual come on dude you have to admit it was hilarious call us back all right hilarious I clenched the phone so hard my Knuckles went white that's what I was to them a punchline a story to laugh about over drinks at the lake house more calls came after that a flood of them Chloe again then Lauren then Stephanie piling up with texts and

voicemails we miss you where'd you go this isn't funny anymore I scrolled through them all my chest tight my head spinning chlo's words kept echoing fake concern fake tears she didn't care none of them did I sat on my cot that night the shelter quiet except for the creek of Springs and the hum of the heater the phone glowed in my hand their messages lighting up the screen I listened to Khloe's first one again then Stephanie's then one from Lauren that was just her giggling before it cut off my thumb hovered over the call button

part of me wanted to dial Chloe to scream at her to ask why she'd done this but what would it change she'd just laugh at off or cry and make me feel guilty like she always did I'd spent years swallowing their crap smiling through it because I thought that's what a good husband did not anymore I went through the list Chloe Stephanie Ela Lauren and blocked every single one my finger shook a little as I did it but once it was done the phone went silent no more buzzing no more lies I leaned back against

the wall letting out of breath I didn't know I'd been holding it felt like cutting a rope I'd been Tangled in for years they couldn't reach me now they didn't get to decide how this ended I did the next day I went back to the diner like nothing had happened plunging my hands into the dishwater letting the heat burn away the last of their voices in my head Jacqueline noticed something was off though you're quiet today she said tossing me a rag to wipe down the counter trouble I Shrugged not wanting to get into it

just sorting some stuff out she snorted long as it don't mess with my kitchen sort way I smirked at that she didn't care about my drama just the job it was refreshing Roy checked in later handing me a paper with a case number for my ID coming along he said you holding up I nodded yeah better than I thought he clapped me on the shoulder and left me to it by the end of the week I'd saved enough to buy a secondhand jacket from the shelter's donation pile nothing fancy but it kept the chill off

I walked back to my cotty night the prepaid phone silent in my pocket and felt lighter Chloe and her friends were gone cut out like a bad habit I didn't need their apologies or their excuses I had work a bed a plan small things but they were mine the ache was still there sure the sting of betrayal but it was fading every dish I scrubbed every dollar I tucked away I was building something new something they couldn't touch and for the first time in a long time I fell asleep without dreaming of her I'd been

at the diner for months now and things were starting to feel steady not perfect but steady the shelter was still my home but I'd saved enough to move into a tiny Studio above a laundromat in Grand Junction it wasn't much just a single room with a lumpy mattress a hot plate and a bathroom so small I could barely turn around in it but it was mine no more CS no more snoring strangers just a key in my pocket and a door I could lock Jacqueline had seen me busting my tail at the diner and bumped

me up to prep cook which meant more hours and a little more cash I'd chop onions and peel potatoes in the back the rhythm of the knife keeping my hands busy and my mind quiet it was hard work but it felt good like I was earning Something Real the nights were still tough though I'd lie on that creaky mattress staring at the water stains on the ceiling and Chloe would creep into my head I'd see her smile hear her laugh not the mean one she used with her friend friends but the soft one she'd give

me back when things were good back before I became her punching back I'd wonder what she was doing if she missed me if she even cared the loneliness hit hard sometimes a cold weight in my chest that wouldn't go away but then morning would come and I drag myself out of bed pull on my jacket and head to the diner no fear of her judgment no cruel Jabs from her friends just me free to breathe free to be one night after a long shift I was messing around with my prepaid phone bored and Restless I

kept it simple no contacts no ties to the past but curiosity got the better of me I made a fake social media account just a random name and no picture and looked her up Chloe's profile popped up still public still full of her perfect little life there were pictures from The Lakehouse trip her and Stephanie posing by the water Isa grinning with a drink in her hand then I saw it a post about me it was a photo of us from years ago smiling at some picnic and her caption hit me like a slap missing

my love I pray he finds his way back to me I stared at it my thumb Frozen on the screen missing me she hadn't even gone back for me she' driven off and left me to rot I almost laughed right there in that dingy apartment the sound bouncing off the bare walls it was so fake so chlo turning herself into the victim like I'd wandered off on my own instead of being abandoned I scrolled through the comments Stephanie saying he'll turn up don't worry Lauren chiming in with sending you hugs and my stomach turned they

were all in on it playing this game like I was the bad guy I clicked off the phone and tossed it onto the mattress running my hands through my hair she hadn't changed none of them had but I had I wasn't the guy in that picnic photo anymore the one who'd grin and take it while they tore me down I was someone else now someone they didn't know the next day at the diner I was quieter than usual still chewing on what I'd seen Jacqueline noticed of course she always did you look like someone kicked

your dog she said sliding a plate of fries my way during a slow moment I Shrugged picking at the food just thinking too much she raised an eyebrow her tattooed arms crossed about what that ex of yours I froze surprised she'd guessed it I'd never told her the whole story just bits and pieces yeah I admitted saw something online she's acting like she's the one who got hurt Jacqueline snorted loud and sharp sounds like a real piece of work good riddance kid I nodded managing a small smile she was right good riddance work kept me

grounded i' dice vegetables flip Burgers when the cook needed a hand wiped down counters anything to keep moving the diner had its regulars folks who'd nod at me or leave a couple bucks on the table and that felt good like I was part of something my hands were callous now my arms stronger from hauling crates and scrubbing pans I'd catch my reflection in the diner's glass door sometimes tired eyes messy hair but a guy who was making it one day at a time Khloe's post faded from my mind replaced by the clatter of plates and

Jacqueline's Gruff voice calling out orders I stopped checking her social media after that didn't need to whatever she was saying whatever story she was spinning it didn't matter I had my studio my job my my life small sure but growing the loneliness still came around especially on quiet nights when the laundromat downstairs hummed and rattled but it wasn't as sharp anymore I'd wake up to the smell of detergent drifting through the floorboards pull on my boots and head out into the cold morning air no one was waiting to mock me no one was rolling their

eyes at my every word I could just be Mike plain simple Mike and that was enough for the first time in years I felt like I was standing Standing On Solid Ground not sinking in quicksand Freedom wasn't loud or flashy it was this my key my paycheck my choice and I wasn't giving it back I'd been living above the laundromat for a while now settling into a routine that felt like mine work at the diner save my cash sleep in my own space the days Blended together but they were good days steady once then she

walked in Sienna she started coming to Jacqueline's Diner twice a week always in in the same booth by the window always with a stack of textbooks and a pen in her hand she was a med student I figured from the way she'd mutter medical terms under her breath while scribbling notes her order never changed Denver omelette no tomatoes extra coffee and she'd barely look up when I brought it over I'd watch her sometimes amused at how she'd get so lost in her studying that her fork would hover halfway to her mouth for a full minute

before she noticed I don't know why I started messing with her maybe I was bored maybe I just wanted to see if she'd crack a smile I'd swap out my name tag with random names I'd make up Bob one day Steve the next Carl after that just to see if she'd catch it she didn't at first two buried in her books but one morning I walked over with Rusty pined to my shirt and she finally looked up her eyes narrowed flicking to the tag then back to my face your name tag is wrong she said

her voice quiet but firm like she was diagnosing me I grinned caught off guard is it I shot back even though it was my real name was Mike and she'd never asked she smirked just a little and went back to her notes that was it our first real moment and it stuck with me work kept me busy but Sienna became the highlight of my week she'd show up order her usual and I'd find excuses to swing by her table refill her coffee clear her plate ask if she needed anything she'd nod or Mumble a thanks

but that smirk stayed in my head like a challenge one day she came in looking frazzled her hair messy her books heavier than usual rough night I asked setting her coffee down she sighed rubbing her eyes exams I haven't slept in 2 days I nodded not pushing it but I slipped an extra hash brown onto her plate when she wasn't looking she noticed glanced up at me and said you're sneaky I just Shrugged got to keep you awake somehow our first date wasn't even planned she came in one evening all dressed up jeans and a

nice top not her usual sweatshirt and told me her friends had bailed on a reservation at some fancy pizza place across town I'm not wasting it she said half to herself then looked at me you free I was wiping down the counter my shift almost over and Jacqueline was an earshot go on kid she barked waving me off you're no use to me moping around so I went we split a pepperoni pizza and a picture of soda and she laughed really laughed when I told her about the name tag thing I knew it wasn't Rusty

she said her eyes bright you're not that old we talked all night about her mid School stress my diner Gig dumb stuff like favorite movies it was easy natural like we'd known each other forever 6 months later she moved into my little Studio it was cramped her books took up half the space and we' trip over each other making dinner on that tiny hot plate but I didn't care she'd study late her lamp glowing while I slept and I'd wake up to her muttering Anatomy terms in her sleep it was weirdly comforting a year after

that we got a bigger place together a real apartment with a kitchen and a couch that didn't smell like bleach Sienna was different from Khloe she didn't mock me didn't make me feel small when I doubt myself she'd just say you've got this and somehow I believe her we'd cook together watch old TV shows argue over who left the dishes in the sink it was simple but it was ours meanwhile Chloe wouldn't let go she started emailing me found my address somehow probably from an old bill or something the first one came a few weeks

after Sienna moved in popping up on my phone while I was chopping Peppers at the diner Mike I just want to know you're okay it read I miss you we all do I stared at it my knife hovering over The Cutting Board miss me she'd left me at a gas station with nothing laughed about it with her friends and now she missed me I deleted it without replying more came after that some short some long all dripping with that fake sweetness she' mastered I messed up I know please talk to me I saw your grandma

she's worried I'd read them feel that old ache in my chest then hit delete Sienna caught me once frowning at my phone who's that she asked nobody I said and she didn't push she didn't need to I was wasn't going back life with Sienna was good better than I thought I deserved the diner was humming my hands were steady and Khloe's emails were just noise I could tune out I'd built something new something solid and every day with Sienna proved it she'd tease me about my cooking I'd laugh at her terrible singing and we'd fall

asleep tangled up on that secondhand couch Chloe could write all she wanted I didn't know her a damn thing my world was here now with Sienna and I wasn't letting go I stood in the kitchen of Jacqueline's Diner flipping a burger on the grill the sizzle filling the air as grease popped against my apron things had been good better than good really Sienna and I were settled in our new apartment a step up from the cramped Studio above the laundromat it had a real bedroom a stove that didn't smoke and a window that led in

actual sunlight life felt solid like I'd finally climbed out of the hole Chloe and her friends had left me in work was steady too I been at the diner long enough that Jacqueline trusted me with more than just dishes and prep she'd started leaning on me barking less and nodding more when I got things done right that day though she called me over to the counter during a slow stretch her sharp eyes locked on me like she had something big to say Mike she said wiping her hands on a rag you're not half bad at

this I smirked thinking she was joking but her face stayed serious I'm opening a second spot across town smaller joint but mine need someone to run it you in I froze spatula in hand the burger sizzling behind me me run a diner I'd gone from scrubbing plates to cooking sure but managing a whole place you serious I asked my voice rougher than I meant it to be she snorted do I look like I'm kidding you've got the chops work hard don't steal don't whine say yes or no my head spun a year ago I'd been

dumped at a gas station with nothing nothing now I was getting offered this I almost said no convinced it was some trick like Khloe's pranks all over again that night I sat on our couch Sienna's in mine staring at the TV without really watching it she came home from a late study session dropping her bag by the door and saw me just sitting there what's up she asked kicking off her shoes I told her about Jacqueline's offer my voice low like saying it out loud my jinx it she wants me to run her new Diner

me in charge Sienna plopped down next to me her knee brushing mine and you're thinking about turning it down she said reading me like always I Shrugged rubbing my neck I don't know what if I screw it up she grabbed my hand her grip firm you're already running that place half the time helping with orders fixing stuff when she's yelling at someone else just make it official you've got this her words Hit me hard like a shove I didn't know I need it she didn't doubt me not for a second and that felt new strange

good Chloe would have laughed said something like you a boss and her friends would have piled on but Sienna just looked at me Steady and sure and I nodded okay I'll do it she smiled that small one I loved and leaned her head on my shoulder good now stop moping we've got dishes to do I laughed the weight lifting a little and we washed plates together her humming some offkey song while I splashed water at her the next day I told jackqueline yes she grunted like she'd expected it and handed me a set of keys

don't burn it down she said then went back to Counting cash the new Diner was a hole in the wall spot 10 tables a counter a kitchen barely big enough for two but it was mine to run I started the next week setting up schedules ordering supplies cooking when the line got slammed it was chaos at first waitresses forgetting orders me burning a batch of fries but I figured it out Sienna was right I've been doing this stuff already just without the title The Place started humming regulars trickling in and jackelin even stopped by once

nodding like she approved not bad kid she said and I felt taller than I had in years then Khloe's email came I was at the new Diner checking inventory on my phone when it popped up Mike your grandmother's been asking about you please let us know you're alive myette Twisted Grandma she'd always been sweet sending me cards even after I married Khloe but Khloe bringing her up now it was a cheap shot a hook to reel me back in I pictured her typing it fake Tears In Her Eyes trying to guilt me like always I

deleted it my thumb slamming the screen harder than it needed to she didn't get to use Grandma against me not after what she'd done I hadn't called home in a while sure but I'd fixed that myself not through her I threw myself into the diner after that keeping my hands busy so my mind wouldn't wander the place was picking up truckers stopping by locals chatting me up like I was one of them I'd come home to see Inna studying at our table her books spread out and she'd ask how it went good I'd say and

mean it we'd cook dinner nothing fancy just pasta or burgers and talk about her classes my day the future chlo's emails kept coming piling up in my trash folder but I didn't open them she was a ghost a shadow I could ignore my life was here the diner Sienna the keys in my pocket I'd been abandoned once left to figure it out and I had now I was building something better something they couldn't touch every night I locked up the diner drove home to Sienna and felt like a man who'd finally found his footing I

was flipping eggs in the kitchen of my third Diner the one on the edge of town when my phone buzzed in my pocket the morning Rush was in full swing truckers hollering for coffee waitresses darting between tables and I almost ignored it 15 years had turned me into a different man Sienna and I were married two kids tearing up our house three Diner locations keeping me busy life was good loud full nothing like the empty shell I'd been when Chloe left me at that gas station I wiped my hands on my apron pulled out my

phone and saw it a LinkedIn notification someone viewed your profile 27 times today my stomach did a little flip I didn't use LinkedIn much just a basic page with my name the diners a blurry photo Sienna made me take but 27 times that wasn't normal I tapped it open the grill hissing behind me and there she was Chloe her name hit me like a cold splash of water right there on the screen tied to some company I didn't care about 27 views in one day she'd been digging through my life over and over I set

the phone down my hands gripping the counter trying to steady myself 15 years and she was back creeping in like a shadow I thought I'd shaken off I flipped the eggs barely watching my mind racing what did she want why now I'd blocked her emails years ago ignored her guilt trips built a whole world without her but here she was poking around silent but loud in my head the diner smelled like bacon and syrup the clatter of plates keeping me grounded I plated the eggs handed them off to a waitress and tried to focus coffee

needed refilling hash browns were burning but Khloe's name stuck with me I pictured her sitting somewhere clicking my profile seeing the diners maybe even the old job at Jacqueline's I'd listed did she know about Sienna the kids I hadn't posted much just enough to look legit but 27 views meant she was looking hard I wiped my forehead sweat mixing with the heat and grabbed my phone again her profile stared back Chloe older now haircut short a tight smile in her picture consultant it said I didn't read more didn't want to I stepped into the back

a tiny store room with shelves of flour and canned goods and leaned against the wall my heart was thumping too fast like I'd run a mile 15 years two kids a wife a business and she could still rattle me I hated that I'd worked so hard to bury her to forget the gas station the laughter the way she'd made me feel like nothing now she was back not even saying anything just watching was she jealous mad desperate I ran my hands through my hair pacing the cramped space part of me wanted to message her What's

your deal but I stopped myself that's what she'd want me reaching out giving her a crack to slip through I went back to the grill threw myself into the Rush cooking pouring wiping down tables when the waitresses got swamped the regulars nodded at me some guy asked for extra ketchup and I kept moving kept my hands busy but she was there in the back of my mind those 27 views like a itch I couldn't scratch I didn't tell Sienna when I got home that night she was on the couch folding laundry the kids upstairs yelling

about some game busy day she asked glancing up yeah I said forcing a smile kissing her forehead same old she didn't push just handed me a pile of socks to sword and I sat there folding pretending everything was fine the house was warm smelled like dinner chicken and rice Sienna's goto and the kids tumbled down begging for dessert I laughed said no felt normal for a minute but Chloe lingered a ghost I couldn't shake I didn't check LinkedIn again didn't need to see if she'd looked more 27 was enough I helped Sienna with the dishes

her hip bumping mine and tried to Let It Go my life was here two kids fighting over the last cookie a wife who didn't laugh at me diners I'd built from nothing Chloe couldn't touch that not really still I went to bed with her name in my head staring at the ceiling while Sienna slept beside me the next day I was at the first Diner pouring coffee when my phone buzzed again I didn't look just shoved it deeper in my pocket if it was her I didn't want to know I'd spent years locking her out

and now she was knocking quiet but steady I focused on the work Grill counter cash register kept my hands moving my voice steady she was out there there somewhere but I was here Standing Tall whatever she wanted whatever game she was playing I wasn't biting not yet not ever if I could help it I was wiping down the counter at the original Diner the one Jacqueline first hired me for when the door jingled and they walked in Chloe Stephanie and Ela it was 3 days after those LinkedIn alerts and I'd been on edge half expecting

something like this the breakfast rush had just died down leaving a handful of regulars dipping coffee the air thick with grease and burnt toast I saw them before they saw me chlo's short hair catching the light Stephanie Swagger still there Isa hunched like she wanted to disappear my gut Twisted hands freezing on the rag 15 years since they ditched me at that gas station and now they were here in my Diner my turf I didn't move just watched them pick a booth by the window and sit their voices low but familiar I could have stayed

back let the waitress handle it but something pulled me out there maybe anger maybe just needing to see it through I grabbed a pot of coffee more for something to hold than anything else and walked over Chloe spotted me first her eyes going wide her mouth dropping open oh my God it's you she said her voice shaky like she hadn't rehearsed it Stephanie leaned back smirking like always hey look at you big shot Isa glanced up then down fast her hands fidgeting with the menu I stood stood there coffee pot in hand looking at them

older worn desperate in a way I didn't expect what do you want I asked keeping it short my voice harder than I felt Chloe shifted leaning forward her fingers twisting together Mike can we talk please I didn't sit didn't soften I'm working talk she swallowed glancing at Stephanie for backup and started I we need your help it spilled out her life had crashed her y little business went under her marriage some guy I didn't know fell apart and she was broke begging now Stephanie jumped in casual like it was no big deal you're doing all

right right three diners we just need a hand you know For Old Times Ison nodded barely audible just a little help I listened letting it sink in Khloe's sob story Stephanie's charm is's guilt they planned this track me down thought I'd roll over I stood there coffeee pot still hot in my grip watching them squirm chlo's eyes got wet Stephanie's smirk twitched EA shredded the edge of her menu I remembered her LinkedIn stocking 27 views then showing up here thinking I'd cave because I used to wait here I said turning away I walked to the

office a cramped box with a desk and a stack of receipts my boots heavy on the floor they wanted money after leaving me with nothing laughing about it they thought I'd just handed over I sat down the chair creaking and stared at the wall my hands shook a little not from fear from anger I could have yelled thrown them out but I didn't I grabbed an envelope wrote a check and headed back they were still there Whispering head snapping up when I walked over I dropped the envelope in front of Chloe watching her fingers snatch

it up her face lighting up for a second she opened it $1. 7350 the exact cost of a Greyhound ticket from Grand Junction back home 15 years ago her smile crashed her breath catching Stephanie grabbed it glaring what the hell is this she snapped I leaned in my voice low steady that's what it would have cost me to get back to you that day I didn't you don't get more than that chlo's mouth opened no sound coming out Stephanie shoved the check at me you're a jerk Mike after everything I cut her off after everything

you left me you laughed this is me being generous is flinched her hands balling up but she didn't speak I straightened looking at them Chloe pale Stephanie fuming eaw shrinking it's time to leave I said loud enough for the diner to hear don't come back I turned walked to the counter my heart pounding but my steps sure the waitress hovered unsure but I waved her off they done I said grabbing a rag to wipe my hands they sat there a minute stunned then scrambled up Chloe shoving the envelope in her purse Stephanie muttering eaw trailing

behind the door jingled shut and the diner went back to normal coffee pouring Forks clinking like they'd never been there I stood behind the counter pouring myself a cup my hands steady now they'd come begging thinking I'd Bend and I'd shut them down it wasn't loud or messy just cold final I sipped the coffee bitter on my tongue and watched the regulars chat oblivious Chloe's tears Stephanie's anger they didn't matter I'd given them what they'd given me just enough to walk away the diner hummed around me my Diner my life and they were gone I

finished my shift locked up and drove home the weight lifting with every mile they tried and they'd lost that was it I leaned against the diner's front window the glass Cold against my arm watching Chloe Stephanie and E out in the parking lot they just stormed out after I handed them that $73.50 check bus fair from Grand Junction nothing more and now they were at it arguing like kids caught stealing Stephanie was loud her hands slashing the air her face twisted up like she wanted to hit something Chloe stood there the envelope crumpled in her

fist staring at the ground her shoulders hunched Isa hung back her arms crossed tight looking like she might bolt or cry maybe both I couldn't hear them through the window but I didn't need to they'd come in begging thinking I'd cave and I'd sent them packing now they were unraveling and I just watched feeling nothing the sun was low painting the lot orange their Shadows stretching long across the gravel Stephanie jabbed a finger at Khloe her mouth moving fast probably blaming her for dragging them here for screwing it up Khloe shook her head slow and

tired then shoved the check into her purse like it was trash Isa shifted glancing at the Diner her eyes catching mine for a second before darting away I didn't move didn't blink just stood there my coffee mug cooling on the counter behind me they could fight all day out there it didn't touch me I'd given them what they deserved closed the book on 15 years of their garbage and that was that I turned away grabbing the mug and taking a sip cold now bitter but I didn't care the diner was quiet just a couple of

regulars lingering over pie the Juke Box humming some old tune I wiped down the counter slow and steady letting the rag soak up the day the waitresses buzzed around clearing tables shooting me quick looks but keeping their mouth shut they knew something had happened those three walking in me walking out with that envelope but I didn't explain you good Mike one asked stacking plates yeah I said short and sharp and went back to wiping I didn't want their questions didn't want to drag it out Chloe and her crew were gone and I was done driving

home the trucks engine growled under me the road dark except for my headlights cutting through my hands gripped the wheel my mind stuck on that scene Khloe's face when she saw the check Stephanie's snarl isa's silence it should have felt good shutting them down and it did mostly but there was this itch a little nag I couldn't shake they looked desperate broken Khloe especially with her soab story about her life falling apart 15 years ago I'd have cared run after them tried to fix it now I just watched them leave the house came into view

lights on Cena's car in the drive and I let out of breath this was real my family my life not them I walked in kicking my boots off by the door the smell of leftover lasagna hitting me Sienna was at the kitchen table papers spread out a pen in her hand grating again probably the kids were upstairs their voices muffled likely in bed but not as sleep she looked up her glasses low on her nose hey she said soft then tilted her head you okay I nodded pulling out a chair and sitting across from her

my hands flat on the table they came by I said keeping it simple her eyebrows lifted but she waited Chloe Stephanie Isa asked for money I gave them bus fair and told them to go she set her pin down leaning back her eyes steady on mine bus Fair she asked a little smile tugging her lips I told her $73.50 the exact cost to get back from Grand Junction all those years ago how Khloe's face fell how Stephanie snapped how I walked away Sienna listened her hand resting on the table calm like always when I finished

she reached over her fingers brushing mine they can't take anything from you that you don't give them she said her voice firm quiet I looked at her those words sinking in and not it yeah I said my throat tight she squeezed my hand then went back to her papers leaving me sitting there the weight lifting a little she didn't need to say more she got it got me and that was enough we ate leftovers later just the two of us the kids finally quiet upstairs I poked at the lasagna my head still half in the

parking lot Stephanie yelling Chloe staring easta shrinking it didn't matter what they said out there who they blamed they'd come for a handout and I given them a mirror instead Sienna didn't ask more just talked about the kids our son's math test our daughter's new obsession with drawing cats I smiled nodded let her pull me back to now after we cleaned up her hip bumping mine at the sink and I felt steady again that night lying in bed Sienna's breathing slow beside me I stared at the ceiling the house creaked the kids shifting in their

rooms and I replayed it those three in my Diner then out in the lot falling apart they couldn't touch this my family my diners me I'd shut the door locked it tight and they were on the other side where they belonged the itch was still there faint but fading Sienna was right they got nothing I didn't give and i' given them the end I closed my eyes the day slipping away and slept hard done with their ghosts for good I stood in the kitchen of our house stirring a pot of chili on the stove the

smell of spices filling the air it had been weeks since Khloe Stephanie and elaw walked into my Diner since I handed them that $73.50 check and watched them argue in the parking lot I hadn't seen them since not a call not an email not even a whisper on LinkedIn they were gone really gone this time and I felt it a quiet that settled deep like a storm finally passing life rolled on Sienna grating papers at the table the kids chasing each other around the backyard the diners humming with regulars it was mine all of it

and they couldn't touch it I'd stopped looking over my shoulder stopped waiting for the next knock the chili bubbled steam rising and I tasted it needed more salt maybe a kick of pepper Sienna glanced up from her stack of tests her glasses slipping down her nose smells good she said smiling that small smile I loved better be I shot back grinning and she laughed soft and easy the kids burst in from outside our son waving a muddy stick our daughter yelling about a bug she'd found out both of you wash up I barked pointing to

the sink and they groaned but ayed splashing water everywhere it was chaos loud and messy but it was ours Khloe's face those tears she tried to sell me faded a little more every day replaced by this work was good too I bounced between the three diners flipping burgers checking stock joking with the waitresses the regulars knew me now old Tom with his coffee the trucker who tipped big the lady who always asked for extra napkins they'd nod say hey Mike and I'd nod back feeling like I belonged Jacqueline stopped by the first Diner one morning

her tattoos faded but her glare still sharp you didn't screw it up she said looking around then clapped my shoulder and left High Praise from her I laughed to myself pouring coffee for a table and thought about how far I'd come from a gas station nobody to this I didn't check on Chloe anymore no fake social media accounts no late night Scrolls I'd done that once years back seen her play The Grieving Widow but now I didn't need to know she was out there somewhere living whatever life she'd made after her business tanked her marriage

crumbled Stephanie and Ela too maybe still mad maybe still blaming her it didn't matter they'd come begging and I'd shut the door that $73.50 check was the last thing I'd ever give them just enough to walk away like they'd left me to do I didn't feel bad didn't feel guilty I felt free Sienna and I took the kids to the park that weekend a crisp fall day with leaves crunching under our boots our son ran ahead kicking a ball while our daughter clung to my hand pointing at every squirrel Cenna walked beside me her arm

brushing mine and we didn't say much just watched breathe bre lived I thought about Chloe for a second her showing up her voice cracking and let it go she couldn't take this from me couldn't even come close I'd built it all without her despite her and it was better than anything she'd ever offered you're quiet Sienna said nudging me just happy I replied and she squeezed my hand knowing I meant it back home we ate the chili too spicy the kids complained but they shoveled it down anyway I sat at the table watching them bicker

over the last roll Sienna rolling her eyes at their noise this was it the best revenge if you could call it that not some big fight not rubbing it in their faces just living well living real Chloe wanted me to break to crawl back and I hadn't I'd walked away from that gas station from her and kept going Roy at the shelter Jacqueline's Diner Sienna's laugh these kids every step was mine every piece earned they'd lost not because I'd beaten them but because I'd stopped playing their game the days kept rolling School runs Diner shifts

quiet nights with Sienna on the couch I didn't look back didn't need to Chloe was a memory a shadow that couldn't reach me anymore I'd see her sometimes in a Flash her smirk her tears but it didn't stick I turn the radio up flip a burger hug my daughter and she'd fade the diners thrived the kids grew Sienna and I argued over dumb stuff like whose turn it was to mow the lawn it was simple messy perfect I'd wake up early make coffee stand in our kitchen looking out at the yard and feel it peace

deep and steady one night after the kids were in bed I sat on the porch a beer in my hand the air cool against my skin Sienna came out wrapped in a blanket and sat beside me what's on your mind she asked her voice soft I took a sip staring at the stars nothing I said then smiled everything she leaned her head on my shoulder and we sat there quiet together Chloe was gone really gone and I was here whole the best revenge wasn't Revenge at all it was this right now a life so good

I didn't need to prove anything I'd made it and that was enough