AT 45 I GOT PREGNANT FOR THE FIRST TIME. AT MY ULTRASOUND, THE DOCTOR WENT PALE. SHE PULLED ME ASIDE AND SAID: ‘YOU NEED TO LEAVE NOW. GET A DIVORCE!’
The doctor’s face lost all color so quickly that, for a second, I thought she might faint before I did. Instead, she stood up, locked the ultrasound room door, and spoke in a voice so low it barely felt real. “Mara, you need to leave. Now. And you need to get a divorce.” I let…