Chapter 1
During summer vacation, my entire family, six of us, went on a road trip together.
When we stopped at a highway service area to rest, I used my husband's shared-payment account to buy a popsicle for three dollars.
The moment he saw it, his face darkened. "Are you really that greedy?" he said coldly. "Everything at a service area is overpriced. You had to buy it here?"
"It's scorching hot," I snapped back. "I can't even have a popsicle?"
"My parents and our two sons are all eating," I said. "Why am I the only one who can't?"
He shook his head. "Then you don't need to be part of this family trip anymore."
I thought he was joking. But when I walked out of the service area, I saw the car disappearing down the highway.
That was when I realized he meant it.
*****
Kayleigh picked up her phone and dialed the hotel in a flash.
"I'm checking out," she said.
If he was really serious about this, then I wouldn't hold back either.
I sat leisurely at the rest stop, slowly savoring my ice cream.
I wasn't in any hurry.
The cleaning lady nearby kindly came over to offer some advice.
"Miss, you should call the cops to pick you up. This place is surrounded by mountains. There's nothing out here," the woman said.
"I'm not in a rush. I'm waiting for my husband to come get me," I replied.
"Oh, you silly girl. He left you here, and you still think he'll come back for you?" the woman said.
"I've worked here half my life, and I've never seen a single man come back for his wife after ditching her at a rest stop," she added.
I just smiled and let it go.
I picked up my phone and started posting on Circlo.
[Live update, urgent! My family left me behind at a highway rest stop during our summer vacation. What should I do?]
Within minutes, the post had over ten thousand views.
[Is this for real? Or is it just clickbait?]
[She usually just shares her daily life as a 90s-born mom of two. Why is today so wild?]
[Get home ASAP, clean him out, and make sure he walks away with nothing!]
[100% your husband is cheating! He left you behind on purpose so he could meet up with his side chick at the tourist spot!]
Just as I was scrolling through the comments, Henry's call popped up.
"Kayleigh! Why didn't you get in the car? We're here already," Henry said.
He sounded all flustered on the other end, but I could tell he was just putting on an act.
"So you really didn't notice I wasn't in the car?" I shot back.
"You left me at the rest stop just because I spent 3 dollars?" she added.
"Kayleigh, quit the drama. Instead of figuring out how to meet up with us, you went and checked out of the hotel? It's summer break, every hotel is packed!" Henry complained.
"You always handle our trips. Now hurry up and find us a place to stay!" he demanded.
He didn't even bother to say sorry, just started barking orders at me.
I hung up on him, no hesitation.
Ever since I had our second child, I had stopped working, and all my daily expenses were paid through Henry's linked payment account.
Fuming, I went on a spree at the rest stop, blowing over 300 dollars on drinks, meals, and snacks.
Henry kept calling, but Kayleigh just blocked him without a second thought.
Soon enough, my mother-in-law, Cassidy, called.
"Kayleigh, Henry really crossed the line. He threw a tantrum and just abandoned you at the rest stop. Now the entire family, kids and adults alike, is trapped in the car with nowhere to go," Cassidy complained.
"Cassidy, what do you mean by 'threw a tantrum'?" I snapped. "He's forty years old. So being in a bad mood gives him the right to dump his wife on the side of the highway?"
"This was supposed to be a family vacation," Cassidy pressed. "How can it be a family trip if you're not even here?"
So now they finally realized they couldn't function without me? How ironic. Everyone had played dumb the moment the car drove off.
"Tell him this," I said coldly. "If he doesn't come back himself and apologize in person, I'm done with this marriage."
"Kayleigh, come on," Cassidy begged. "Isn't divorce a bit extreme over something like this?"
"If he won't apologize, then yes. I'm finished," I replied.
I made sure my tone was cutting before ending the call.
Henry had always believed I couldn't survive without him.
He assumed I'd panic, chase after the car, and humiliate myself trying to catch up.
He was wrong. Completely wrong.
For once, I wasn't giving in.
I kept scrolling through my phone, getting angrier by the second.
To calm myself down, I opened a shopping app, planning to spend a little money and vent my frustration.
The payment failed.
Guess he shut down the payment account too.
So he'd frozen the account too.
I hopped back on Circlo and kept posting updates. [Stay-at-home mom ditched at a highway rest stop. My husband just cut off my funds too.]
The comments flooded in instantly, blowing up her feed.
[Girl, you're still relying on a man in this day and age? Who even does that anymore?]
[No savings at all? No wonder he ditched you.]
[Did your husband set this up from the start? Left you at the rest stop just to meet up with his side piece?]
[Want help testing his loyalty? I can help you catch him cheating.]