Total pages in book: 225
Estimated words: 218500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1093(@200wpm)___ 874(@250wpm)___ 728(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 218500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1093(@200wpm)___ 874(@250wpm)___ 728(@300wpm)
“I’ll try. But if I-”
“Just try.”
I nod.
“Thank you,” he says softly, pain in his eyes. “I know you don’t want to accept what’s happened to me, how it changes things, but you need to do that, Chloe. You need to understand that I’m asking you to do this for you, for both of us.”
I sigh.
“Coming to bed?” he asks.
“In a while,” I say softly.
He stares at me for a long moment before he nods and then motors away from me.
Thursday
I close my laptop down for the day with a big smile on my face. My boss just had me jump on a video call to tell me I’ve earned a ten-thousand-dollar bonus, that my recent contributions to a campaign made a client so happy after their profit quadrupled their ad spend this month that they not only renewed their contract but also boosted their budget, insisting I get a cash bonus. They want me to be their primary point of contact and the potential for this client is so huge, my boss wants me working only on them instead of continuing to handle the half a dozen clients I manage now.
And I’m tickled pink.
Considering that most of my savings got eaten up buying the townhome with Adam a whole year before we planned to buy a house, this is great news and I’ll be tucking it away to help me re-boot my nest egg.
I’ve been working hard, trying to show my appreciation for all the company has done for me throughout the ordeal that has been my life for the past seven months and it feels great to be rewarded. I’ve been worried I asked for too much flexibility. Worried I haven’t been present enough, so I doubled down and really threw myself into work as a distraction from my reality.
I’m ready to celebrate this little win and decide I’m treating myself, taking myself on a date.
A trip to the mall, to the bookstore, and then a dinner date with whichever book I buy myself at my favorite soup place. Alone. I used to try to do it once in a while. Shop for a book, go to a restaurant, and enjoy reading while eating. I always get dessert when I do this and I’m looking forward to one of my favorite treats.
In fact, I haven’t been to the gym in seven months, let my membership expire, and it’s part of the same mall I’m going to, so I think I’ll stop by tonight and renew it.
Adam wants me to take up new hobbies anyway. We’ve rarely even eaten dinner together lately and if I’m out of the house more, he can pretend I’m cheating on him which might boost his mood.
I roll my eyes at my inner sarcasm.
My home office is on one side of the master bedroom, Adam’s is on the other. I rap on his office door and open it. He immediately closes the laptop lid and looks over his shoulder with irritation, asking, “What’s up?”
I feel the smile die on my face.
His expression is one of impatience, so I answer, “I’m going out. I probably won’t be back until late. Gonna wander the mall. Renew my gym membership. Eat while I’m out at that coffee shop with the soup so… do you mind eating leftovers? There’s lasagna there. Or would you like me to get something delivered. I could bring back–”
“I’ll figure it out. Have fun.”
“Need anything before I go?” I ask.
“I’m good. Hit a rhythm here with my story, so wanna keep it up. Sorry.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Thanks. Have fun.” He turns his back to me and opens his laptop again.
I would’ve shared my good news, but his reaction completely halted me. Dismissed.
That bitterness that’s been creeping in lately is picking up steam. Now it’s seeping in through multiple foundation cracks. Of course I don’t want to mess up his writing rhythm, but he’s been like this non-stop. Irritated or at the very least terse with me.
He’s in his office from morning to night and lately we’re lucky if we have more than breakfast together.
Not tonight. Tonight, I’m celebrating alone. And I’m looking forward to it. I’m pushing away the urge to fully consider my future. To think about what I want for a change. To think about whether this is what I want for the rest of my days. Walking on eggshells. Being bullied into cheating. As much as he says it’s not cheating if he’s sanctioned it, it’s not how I’m built.
I pull my thoughts back, afraid to go further down that road. Because there might be no turning back. And to abandon Adam and our plans isn’t something I ever thought I was capable of.
I shake it off, deciding not to let him get me down today. I want to celebrate my work achievement and get out of this house, so I shove the negativity away and change out of my typical work-at-home comfy clothes into jeans and a cute top. I put on some makeup and jewelry, spritz some perfume, and take the ponytail down before I grab my phone and keys and head out.