Chapter 17

I continued, "To please you, I gave up my dream of racing and stayed home to care for Shawn and tend to your needs. I did all of it, hoping it might make you a little happier. "But in the end, I couldn't even achieve that. In the three years I spent as your wife, I didn't experience a single moment of real joy. Instead, I lived like I was walking on eggshells, constantly afraid that something I did might upset you or Shawn. "Shawn's just a child, and I never wanted to hold anything against him. But your coldness… it made me doubt myself, over and over again. "Ian, I was miserable. Being with you drained me. You missed all 52 of our wedding ceremonies. And when another woman came into the picture, you didn't think twice about leaving me behind." I drew in a few deep breaths, trying to quiet the storm inside me before finally meeting his eyes. "That's why I can't come back, because all you ever gave me were painful memories. If I were to return to you now, I'd be betraying myself."