His Other Family

Synopsis

His phone never left his side. It had been ten years. He brought it to the dinner table, slept with it tucked under his pillow, and even took it into the bathroom when he showered. I’d asked him once, “Is that really necessary?” He laughed. “I’m used to it.” And I believed him. Then he got into a car accident and was rushed into the ICU. The nurse handed me his personal belongings: his phone, wallet, and keys. I looked down. The phone wasn’t his. No. More accurately, I’d never seen that phone before. ***** I said, “I’m going to make him pay for every single thing he’s owed me over these past ten years.” I walked out of the room and quietly shut the door behind me. My mother-in-law’s sobs continued to echo down the hallway. I didn’t look back.