After the divorce, I restarted my life

“Mom, I’ve made up my mind. I’m coming back to take over the design institute and handle the bidding for the Nicholson Corporation’s project that opens in seven days.”

I hung up the phone, dumped the now-cold sweet-and-sour ribs into the trash, and applied ointment to the burns on my fingers.

To recreate my husband Liam’s favorite flavor, I tried three times. The oil splashed onto my hands, leaving blisters raised and angry, yet I only ran them under cold water for a moment.

This was the version of me Liam liked—gentle, tolerant, even pain silent.