Chapter 5

Karina took the bill without even looking. "Okay."

"The total bill is 2,440 dollars. The baby's share is 1,600 dollars, so we split that for 800 dollars each," I said.

I pulled out my phone and opened the calculator. "The remaining 840 dollars is your own expenses."

"I lent you A thousand and six hundred dollars before. After taking off your 840 dollars and your 800 dollars, you still owe me 40 dollars," I said.

I held the phone out so she could see the numbers.

She glanced at it. "Okay."

"I didn't even calculate the interest," I added. "For three days, it's probably pennies. Forget it."

I waved a hand like I was doing her a favor.

She didn't respond. She started gathering her things in silence. A small bag was all she'd brought for her hospital stay.

We drove home in silence. The air in the car was thick.

I turned on the radio and played some classical music, hoping to break the ice.

But it was useless. The silence got heavier.

The moment we walked in, Karina went straight to the bedroom. When she came back, she was holding an envelope.

She handed it to me. "Your forty dollars."

I took it and opened it. Inside were two crisp twenty-dollar bills.

"Where'd you get this?" I asked. She'd said her account was almost empty.

"I borrowed it from my mom."

I felt another wave of irritation. Of course, it was Melissa Hart again. She'd rather go to her mom for help than ever come to me. "Karina. What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. I don't want to owe you anything."

"We're married!" I finally snapped.

"Even married couples should settle accounts." She threw my own words back at me. "You taught me that."

I stared at her. Her face was pale, almost ghostly. But her eyes were calm, flat, and still as a frozen lake.

It hit me then, like a punch to the chest. I didn't know her at all.

"Fine." I shoved the money into my pocket. "Hope you can stay this strong-willed."

She stayed in the bedroom all afternoon. When I called her for dinner, she said she wasn't hungry.

That night, I heard her on the phone in the other room. Her voice was low, careful, as if she were discussing something serious.

I moved closer to the door and caught fragments.

"Yes, I've documented everything... Chain of custody matters. Thank you, Ms. Bennett."

Was she talking to a lawyer? My heart skipped a beat. But why? Was she planning a divorce?

The thought flashed through my mind, but I pushed it away.

No way. She was pregnant. She didn't work. How could she divorce me? Would she walk away with nothing?

She was not stupid. I was overthinking. She was probably consulting for a friend.

That night, I lay beside her in bed. She was stiff as a board. There was a wall between us, invisible, but solid.

I turned away from her. She would get better after the baby came. Pregnant women were emotional. It was okay.

I closed my eyes and let sleep take me.

In the middle of the night, something woke me. I opened my eyes. Karina was sitting on the edge of the bed.

Moonlight spilled through the window. She was holding her phone, the screen casting a pale glow on her face.

She was looking at a photo from our wedding. In it, she was smiling, pressed close against me. She looked radiant.

I watched a tear slide down her cheek. It landed on the screen, leaving a small wet mark.

Something twisted in my chest.

The feeling caught me off guard. But I pushed it down. Emotions were messy. They clouded judgment.

I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep.

She looked at the photo for a long time. Then she put the phone down and lay back down, her back to me.

I could tell she wasn't asleep. I could feel the tension in her body like a wire pulled too tight.

We lay there like strangers sharing a bed.

*****

The next day was Monday. I got up early as usual, went for a run, and had my usual healthy breakfast.

Karina got up too. She made herself a bowl of oats with nothing else.

"That's all you're eating?" I frowned. "The doctor said you need more nutrition."

"I'm not hungry," she said, her tone indifferent.

"You need to eat even if you're not hungry. It's for the baby," I said, my voice taking on a lecturing edge.

"Michael," she said, putting down her spoon and looking up at me. "Are you actually worried about me? Or your investment?"