“Of course not. By the time you children were born, any remnant of that love had long since curdled. Our marriage was loveless and hopeless. But before I realized he would never change, I had hope.”
“Paige and I are not—”
“Paige is not like me,” she continues as if I’d never spoken. “She will not stay just because you refuse to divorce her. She will not sacrifice her pride or self-respect for the sake of your rules. She’ll take those children and leave—and by God, Misha, I will not allow you to alienate that girl. I will not let you break her heart.” She’s standing now, all fire and brimstone, with one manicured nail thrust in my face. For a small woman, she’s fierce.
“She’s not going to leave, Mother.”
“I know that.” She jerks her chin upwards and sets her jaw firmly. “Because I will
