Do you regret it, mom?

She wasn't weak

Kairi showered and tried to clean up the place after Mei had left, trying to feel more like herself.

"You can do this." She told herself in the mirror, trying to hype herself up. "You are not a failure..."

She had to get her head in the right place so she could make a plan. Because she needed a plan, one that wouldn't have her looking like a crazy bitch and losing her career and children...

Oh, yeah easy fucking peasy when your husband's a calculated bastard.

She groaned, running a hand through her hair as she sat back down on the sofa. "You can do this, just...think of it like business...just more crazy."

The business world was cutthroat but she'd never had to deal with a crazy co-worker or client threatening to lock her up... okay there had been the first-day hazing at her internship, but was getting locked in the freezer room after welcome drinks really that bad?

"Ugh..." Kairi slumped against the sofa. "Fuck. My life's a shit show."

But, how was she going to turn this shit show around? She needed a good lawyer, better than the one she had right now and one who didn't know or husband... okay, limited options but doable.

Next, actual dirt on him to protect herself from whatever dirt he had on her... that thought alone made her feel icky.

Kairi sighed, burying her face in her hands. He Was already going to turn the boys against her, that was a given, but there wasn't much she could do about that, if anything she should start preparing now for when the boys would hate her. Yeah, just rip the band-aid off.

Fine, so the boys would hate her. That was okay, she could learn to live with being hated, Gakuhou already hated her a little...

There was a pit in her stomach when she thought about that, blinking back tears. So yeah, let them hate her, she could live with that. She had to.

In the meantime, she had to survive until she could get out. Just survive long enough.

Kairi took a deep breath, feeling calmer. "I can do this."

She was going to get out. She was going to find a way.

***

When her family finally got home, Gakuhou seemed surprised to see she'd cleaned not just herself but also the house.

Kairi savoured the look on his face while she lounged on the sofa watching tv.

"Hi, mom." Karma rushed to greet her, a fresh medal in his hand. "I won the chess match!" He waved his medal in front of her. "I even made the other kid cry!"

"Oh..." She tried to smile, patting him on the head. "That's... great, sweetie."

"That kid was a crybaby anyway," Gakushuu said, coming over to join them on the sofa. "He got all upset because he wanted to win the competition for his grandma who's dying."

"What?" Kairi exclaimed.

Karma frowned. "Wait, she is?"

"Likely just a manipulation tactic to gain sympathy," Gakuhou told them, placing a hand on Karma's shoulder. "Besides, if it were true, then he should have tried harder to win."

Karma's frown faded. "Oh, right!"

Kairi's eyes widened. "Uh, no, that's not—"

"Boys, why don't you go upstairs and get started on your homework?" Gakuhou interrupted, his smile like plastic.

"But, what about TV time," their youngest asked, starting to frown again. "You said if I won—"

"You can have TV time, after your homework, Karma," Gakuhou's voice became sterner, squeezing his shoulder. "Go on now."