Tina’s lawyer counters immediately.

Tina’s Lawyer: Your Honor, my client, Tina Kennard, has made every effort to salvage this relationship, but there comes a point where irreparable damage cannot be undone. Bette’s neglect of her family and inability to prioritize their marriage over her career is precisely why we’re here today.

Tina flinches slightly, her emotions betraying her lawyer’s composed delivery. Bette clenches her jaw but remains silent, her knuckles white as she grips the edge of the table.

Bette: (standing suddenly) Your Honor, with all due respect, this is not about my career. I know I made mistakes, but I love Tina, and I love our children. I’m not ready to give up on us.

Tina finally looks at Bette, her expression a mix of pain and frustration.

Tina: (speaking directly to Bette) Love isn’t enough, Bette. It never was. You can’t erase years of broken promises and make it all okay with words.

The courtroom murmurs as the emotional tension rises. The judge bangs the gavel.

Judge: That’s enough. This court will reconvene tomorrow. Both parties are advised to prepare for mediation discussions. Dismissed.

Bette’s Lonely Home

Bette walks into her house, the door clicking shut behind her. The silence is deafening. The once vibrant home now feels cold and lifeless, as if the very walls are mourning what’s been lost. She drops her bag on the couch, her movements slow, almost mechanical, as if she’s running on autopilot. She removes her coat and makes her way to the living room. Her eyes land on the wall, where their family photos are arranged in a collage a collection of smiles, of moments frozen in time. She steps closer, her fingers trembling as they trace the edges of a photo. It’s of her, Tina, and their children, Bradley and Angelica, laughing together at a picnic, the warmth of that day so present in the photo. But now, all Bette can feel is the cold ache in her chest.

Tears well up in her eyes, blurring the image before her. She wipes them away quickly, angry at herself for being so weak, but the pain doesn’t subside.

Her gaze shifts to the bedroom door, and slowly, almost cautiously, she walks toward it. Each step feels heavy, as though the weight of everything she’s lost is pulling her down. She opens the door, her breath catching in her throat when she sees it the empty wardrobe. Tina’s side is completely bare. The absence of her presence hits Bette like a physical blow. There’s nothing left. Not even a trace.

Bette stands still for a moment, taking it all in. The emptiness echoes in her ears. She walks into the room and sits on the edge of the bed, her head falling into her hands. Tears spill freely down her face, and for a moment, she allows herself to feel everything the regret, the sorrow, the overwhelming weight of her mistakes. It presses heavily on her, crushing her under the magnitude of it all.

Eventually, she pulls herself together and heads to the kitchen. The air in the house feels thick with silence, with memories that seem to haunt her at every turn. She moves to the cabinet and pulls out a bottle of whiskey, pouring herself a drink with a practiced hand. She doesn’t bother with a glass just takes the bottle in her hand and makes her way to the poolside.

The cool evening air brushes against her skin as she stands by the pool, the water reflecting the fading light of the setting sun. She undoes the top two buttons of her shirt, removing her cufflinks, then folds her sleeves up, trying to shake off the tension that still grips her. She takes a slow, steady sip of whiskey, feeling the burn slide down her throat as she watches the sun dip below the horizon. The fading colors of the sky mirror the emptiness inside her beautiful, but fading, slipping away.

Bette: (whispering to herself) I’ll bring us back together. I’ll fix this. I’ll fix everything.

She closes her eyes, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. In the stillness of the moment, she feels the weight of that promise, but it feels fragile, like a flickering candle that could go out at any moment. Her mind drifts back to the day everything started the day when everything felt like it was falling into place… and then, just as quickly, started to crumble.