Chapter 6
Chapter 5
"Sophia, I know you're hurting," my mother-in-law said. "But think about it. You've been together for so many years. Are you really going to throw it all away because of someone else?"
I smiled faintly.
"It's not because of someone else.
"It's because he treats strangers better than his own family," I replied.
There was a long silence on the other end of the line.
Finally, my mother-in-law sighed.
"Don't be too ruthless. Women who are too ruthless never end up happy," she said.
I said, "I wasn't ruthless before, and things didn't turn out any better."
After hanging up, I moved the last box to the door.
At five o'clock, Michael came home.
He couldn't get in.
The password really had been changed.
He rang the doorbell.
I cracked the door open.
When Michael saw the boxes piled up by the door, his face instantly darkened.
"You're really doing this?" he asked.
I said, "Yeah."
"Sophia, are you really going to do all this because of something trivial?"
I looked at him.
"Something trivial?" I shot back.
Michael tugged at his collar; his frustration written all over his face.
"Yeah, I know I've been ignoring you lately, but did you really have to blow things up like this?" he said.
"Blow things up? How exactly?" I retorted.
"You kicked me out, called my mom, and changed the password."
As I looked at him, it suddenly struck me that he felt like a complete stranger.
He never used to be like this.
Or at least, that was what I always believed.
He used to wait for me downstairs whenever I worked late.
He'd drive halfway across the city because I casually mentioned wanting some sweet nuts.
When my dad was in the hospital, he stayed by his side for three days straight, so tired he fell asleep right there in the hallway.
All those good times were real.
But when someone's heart changed, it didn't happen all at once.
It was that the scales inside started to shift, bit by bit.
And when you finally fall, he'll still act like it was your fault for not staying steady.
I said, "Everything in those boxes belongs to you."
Michael was trying hard to keep his cool.
"Are you seriously going through with this?" he asked.
I nodded.
"Yeah. I have to," I replied.
The elevator dinged downstairs.
Emily stepped out.
Her hand was still wrapped in gauze, and she was holding a pharmacy bag in the other.
When she saw us, she stopped in her tracks.
"Is this a bad time?" Emily asked.
Michael turned around, his brows furrowing.
"Why did you come up here?" he said.
Emily spoke up softly, "You left your phone at my place."
I turned to Michael.
"Didn't come home last night, and even left your phone at her place. Wow, you must've been really busy," I said.
Michael's face turned even darker.
Emily quickly handed him his phone.
"Don't get the wrong idea, Mrs. Reed. He slept on the couch last night. I saw he was really tired, so I didn't wake him up," she explained.
She was quick to explain, almost too eager to please.
Every word sounded like she was trying to clear things up.
But it was as if she was reminding me they'd spent the night together.
I leaned against the doorframe.
"Emily, you'd be perfect as a news anchor," I said.
She froze for a second.
I said, "You always know how to broadcast the highlights."
She was on the verge of tears again.
Michael immediately stepped in front of her.
"Don't take it out on her," he said.
I watched him step in front of her, protecting her like she was the only one that mattered to him.
Suddenly, I didn't even have the energy to fight anymore.
I turned around and pushed the boxes out the door.
"Take them all," I said.
He didn't take them.
"So where am I supposed to sleep tonight?" Michael asked.
I laughed.
"Isn't there a couch downstairs?" I shot back.
Emily's face went pale.
"Sophia, please don't say that. It's really not okay for him to stay at my place," she said.
I stared her down.
"So, it's fine for you to have a stomachache in the middle of the night, fine for your hand to hurt, fine for him to leave his phone at your place, but suddenly the couch is a problem?" I shot back.
She bit her lip.
Michael finally snapped.
"Sophia, do you have to act like some crazy shrew?" he spat.
That cut deeper than his 'don't push me' from last night.
I stood there, staring at him, unable to move.
Even he knew he'd crossed a line.
Michael's tone softened, "I didn't mean it like that."
I nodded.
"Yeah, you did," I replied.