I gave a faint smile. After enduring such an unhappy marriage, this new chapter of my life seemed almost surreal in its contentment.


    Willow announced the first act and gracefully exited the stage. As her ssmates took turns performing, the auditorium erupted in enthusiastic apuse. I found myself pping along, caught up in the moment.


    From her seat nearby, Portia kept a watchful eye on Annalise. She''d been observing Annalise''s interactions with Zane, noticing how his affection for her shone through even in the smallest gestures. She felt her heart warmed by the sight.


    Annalise''s previous marriage had been a source of great unhappiness-her mother-inw bullied her, her husband ignored her, and her son resented her. As a result, she slowly transformed from a vibrant young woman into a withdrawn, quiet adult.


    Portia had watched this change with a heavy heart, feeling helpless to intervene. In her view, divorce was simply uneptable. So, Portia could only advise Annalise to endure, believing that maintaining the facade of aplete family would somehow shield her from further hurt.


    A remarkable change began when Annalise finally chose to break free, leaving behind her inconsiderate husband and difficult son for a new family. Her smile grew brighter with each passing day.


    It was clear that Zane treasured Annalise deeply.


    Portia finally felt at ease.


    Over the past few years, she had been reflecting on herself. Had her thinking fallen behind the times?


    In her generation, women were expected to marry. No matter how badly their husbands behaved, a wife filing for divorce was seen as disgraceful. Divorce meant losing one''s dignity, neglecting family, and abandoning one''s children. Portia had been deeply influenced by these ideas and even agreed with them for a long time.


    For the past two years, she noticed more and more women around her-trapped in unhappy marriages and mistreated by their families-choosing to divorce. Surprisingly, those women didn''t lead the miserable lives she had always imagined. That''s when Portia realized times had changed. Women didn''t need men to live fulfilling lives.


    Vel


    Hence, Portia started questioning whether holding onto societal expectations and preserving her dignity was worth confining Annalise to a toxic rtionship.


    What good was preserving aplete family in the eyes of others when Annalise would be left enduring humiliation and unhappiness?


    Although Portia rationalized the situation, she couldn''t bring herself to make a decision. Eventually, Annalise made the choice to divorce.


    Watching Annalise''s life improve


    after the separation brought Portia immense relief. She moved to sit beside Annalise and asked, "Could you send me a copy of the video you recordedter?"


    I heard a familiar voice and turned my head. It was Portia.


    Surprised and delighted, I asked, "What brings you here?"


    "I came to apany Zachary," she replied.


    I knew how much she doted on Zachary, but my rtionship with him was beyond repair.


    I wasn''t sure how to respond. So, I stayed silent.


    Portia reached out and sped my hand, giving it a reassuring pat.


    "Don''t worry. I''vee to terms with


    your divorce Rather than forcing


    you to reconcile with a jerk like Steven and suffer every day, I''d rather you spend your days like this. Although the future is uncertain, at


    least you''re happy.


    "More importantly, there''s no guarantee that staying married to Steven would ensure a better life in the long run, right?"