She retained counsel and began divorce proceedings. She sought appropriate protective measures based on the threats and documented conduct, and she made clear that the cottage was not part of any voluntary sale. Her attorney handled communications so she wouldn’t have to debate her safety with Julian.
Some people in their social circle asked whether she might forgive him if he received counseling. Others suggested that a marriage of ten years deserved one more conversation. Morgan stopped trying to convince them.
“You don’t have to understand every detail,” she told one mutual friend. “You only have to respect that I’m leaving.”
The friend went quiet, then apologized.
One evening Morgan drove north toward Door County with Priya in the passenger seat. They arrived after sunset. The cottage smelled of pine boards and dust, and the screened porch creaked beneath their feet.
Morgan opened the windows, let in the lake air, and found her grandmother’s blue bowls still stacked in the kitchen cupboard.
