Sideways

George and Sarah had been together for over ten years. They dated from high school and attended the same college, where the relationship continued. It was no doubt that they were meant for each other. After six years of dating, they finally got married and led a happy life for four years with their kid until things fell apart.

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Sarah had always dreamed of having her own published book. She had an impeccable talent for writing, but after so many trials, it was left as a dream; instead, she worked as a freelancer. Soon, she got an opportunity that would serve as a ladder to her dreams, but she had to choose between her family and her dreams.

"Can I speak to my husband about this before we can hold a final discussion?" Sarah asked the lady at the other end of the phone.

She had recently applied for a job at a writing company as an editor, and one of the benefits of working at the company was the chance to publish a book at the end of the first year. Sarah took a leap of faith and applied for the job. It didn't cross her mind that she might be chosen, but that call came from the recruiter, and she wasn't about to blow her chances.

"Mrs. Sarah, if you're going to take this job, you'll have to choose sides. You may not always be at home, and I need to know that you and I are on the same page. I can't have you waiting on your husband when you're supposed to work." The caller sternly advised.

"He won't be a problem, I promise." Sarah assured the caller.

After she had ended the call, Sarah heaved a sigh and cupped her face with her palm. She wondered if George wouldn't be a problem, as she had promised the caller.

Later that night, after their dinner, George and Sarah put their daughter to sleep, just like they had always done before retiring to their bedroom.
"When will you tell me what's eating you up?" George asked as they walked into their bedroom.

"Is it obvious that I'm unsettled?" Sarah asked shyly.

"Even the blind can feel your disturbed state. What's the matter?" George led her to sit on their bed, then he sat beside her and raised her face so their eyes could meet.

"I got a job today." Sarah finally said.

"You don't seem too thrilled about it." George observed.

"It's a nice job actually, but it might take me away from home." Sarah responded and went on to tell George all he needed to know about the job.

After she was done talking, George fell silent for a few minutes, and Sarah got scared. She wondered if he had not liked the idea of the new job.
"Since I met you, this has always been your dream, and now that you've gotten the opportunity to achieve it, go for it. I won't be a problem, but still, if you're going to be traveling all the time, I guess you would find a way to still be here." George advised.

"Of course, I'll always make time for family. Nothing can beat that." Sarah responded.
The conversation went as smoothly as Sarah had wished it to be. The night went by, and they slept peacefully.

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Soon Sarah began the work; it was no joke that the job would take her away from the family; she made three trips in the first month and spent so much time away from home.
At first, she ensured that she called home twice every day. She would call George in the morning, and then at night, she'd speak with their daughter, but all of that was soon to stop as she couldn't keep up with speaking with them and working every day.
She was too busy, and the days she would be home, she'd be too tired to even tug Lucy to bed, and this got George worried.

"Don't you think this work is drifting you away from home?" George had asked her on one of those nights when she would return home and just take her bath, then head to bed without saying a word to anyone.

"I think I'm about to sleep off. Can we have this conversation later?" Sarah asked him.

She knew in her heart that the conversation would get ugly if it went on.
George stared at her as she drew the quilt closer to her chest and made small sleeping sounds.
He missed having dinner with her and their conversations as well. George had to cope with his work and taking care of Lucy; it wasn't easy for him. What hurt him most was his daughter's insistence that her mother didn't care about her anymore.

Source

Sarah's consolation was that she had a few more months to complete her work and get a chance to have a book published. Lucy had stopped speaking to her, and she didn't make any attempt to fix things.
The months went by slowly, and Sarah went further away from the family, and for the first time, the thought of divorce crossed George's mind.

That morning, after he returned from driving Lucy to school, he came in to see Sarah dressing for work.
"We need to talk." He said to her.

"My darling, it has to wait till I'm back, probably in a few days." Sarah replied and applied makeup on her face.

"I don't have a few days. I can't endure this anymore." George said again, but this time his voice was a little higher than usual.

Sarah closed her kit and turned to face him."What's really the matter?" She asked him.

"I think you know exactly what the problem is. This wasn't what you had promised. Do you know how hard it is to take care of Lucy and still work? Even when you're here, it feels like you're still away. When was the last time you made us something to eat?" George laid out his complaints.

"Is this about food? Okay, I'll cook for you both when I return." Sarah replied. She was in a hurry to end the conversation.

"I see you love your job very much, and I can't stand in the way of your happiness. I'll have my lawyers draft out documents for you; when you return, we won't be here to wait for you." George said to her, and Sarah's jaw dropped.

"George!!! What do you think you're doing? You were happy for me when I got this job." She yelled at him.

"Yes, I was happy, and I'm still happy that your dreams are within your reach, but I can't keep doing this. I feel like I don't know you anymore. You even stopped speaking to Lucy..." He was saying, but Sarah cut him off.

"She stopped speaking to me first." She screamed.

"She stopped because she felt you no longer cared for her, and instead of sorting things out, you just went on with it. Honestly, you've totally changed for the worse." George said bitterly.

"George, we are a happy family. We've been together for over ten years; why are you doing this?" Sarah asked him. She was hurt by his decision to divorce her.

"Everything was fine until you started caring more about your job than your family." He responded and left the room.

Source

Sarah sat on the bed; she was exhausted, and she didn't think she'd make it to work anymore. She loved her job, but not when it meant losing her family. Sarah thought of a possible solution as she had seen that things had gone sideways for her.
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