Chapter 1: The Front Row
My husband insisted I sit in the front row at his medical school graduation.
I thought he wanted me close enough to share his biggest moment.
I had no idea whose face I'd see when he stepped off that stage.
My name is Catherine.
I'm 33.
Seven years earlier, my husband got into medical school.
Some months, we could barely afford tuition, rent, and groceries.
He wanted to give up, but I wouldn't let him.
So while Ben studied, I worked.
I waited tables before sunrise.
I cleaned office buildings until midnight.
On weekends, I babysat just to keep us afloat.
There were weeks I slept four hours a night.
I missed birthdays, anniversaries...
even my own father's funeral because I couldn't afford to lose a single day's pay.
Every time I broke down, Ben would take my hands and whisper,
"One day, it'll all be worth it.
I couldn't do this without you."
I believed him.
On the morning of graduation, I bought myself a new dress.
It was the first thing I'd purchased just for me in nearly six years.
Ben had already left for the ceremony, but before he did, he reminded me one last time:
"Don't forget.
Front row."
I smiled all the way to the auditorium.
I thought Ben wanted me close enough to be the first person he saw after receiving his diploma.
When he accepted it, he found me in the front row and smiled.
For one perfect second, every sleepless night felt worth it.
Then he climbed down from the stage...
...
walked straight past me.
The moment I saw whose face he was smiling at, I realized everything I'd believed for the past seven years had been a lie.
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What did Catherine see?
May you like
Who was Ben walking toward after everything she sacrificed?
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