An elderly woman hastily requests for a divorce from her husband after five decades of marriage. After a while, she receives a letter that says something she has not heard in 50 years. Rose had had enough.
She was a 75-year-old woman who had been married to the same man, Charles, for more than 50 years. Charles was ten years older than her, but they had been together since their college days which meant they spent their youth in love with each other. Everyone believed they would never separate, and neither did they.
The two had raised two beautiful kids who had gone on to make families of their own. However, despite the fullness of their marital life, Rose felt suffocated. She thought she had not been allowed to live her life to the fullest, and those feelings manifested in her behavior towards Charles.
He loved her to a fault, always watching out for her, so he got confused when she started to pick fights and throw tantrums. He could tell she was closing her heart towards him, so he decided to speak to her about it in hopes that they could bury the hatchet. That day he walked in on her muttering to herself.
“What’s the matter honey?” he asked. “You’re talking to yourself again.”
“And it’s all thanks to you, Charles,” she snapped. “You’re slowly driving me insane.”
“Come now Rose, don’t say things like that to me, they break my heart.”
“You’re always playing the victim,” Rose shot back before she stormed out of the room, leaving him to decipher what she meant.
The quarrels became so frequent that when Rose eventually requested a divorce, Charles decided not to stop her. They were both advanced in age, and the emotional turmoil was not good for them. When they informed their lawyer, Mr.
Frank Evans, about their plan, he tried to advise them against it because he thought they were really great together. However, Rose would not budge on her decision, and Charles didn’t want to be the reason his Rose would lose her life, so he went along with the divorce. On the day they signed the papers, Frank offered them both a meal at their favorite restaurant.
“What could it hurt?” he said. Rose was a little reluctant, but Charles agreed immediately. “We wouldn’t mind, Frank,” he said.
“We’re parting ways amicably, this could be our last supper.”
Rose eventually agreed, and they headed to the restaurant. Upon getting there, Frank ordered his meal and informed the elderly couple that he would pay for their food as well. When the waiter arrived to take their orders, Charles immediately took charge.
He requested that the light around their booth be dimmed because of his ex-wife and ordered a salad for her while he got steak. Rose seethed inwardly; she could not believe Charles had gone ahead to order her food like she was not present and could not make decisions herself. Other people around their booth complained of the dim lights, which made her even angrier.
She was a shy woman, and she did not take kindly to being the center of attention. But in her anger, she lashed out at Charles and left him and Frank staring after her retreating form. “Women, am I right?,” Frank said with a knowing look.
“Tell me about it,” Charles replied, a sad smile on his face.