Chapter 1 · Leave Me Out of Your Future

Chapter 1

Five years into our marriage, my husband announced he was taking a permanent transfer to another city next month.It wasn't a discussion.I stared at the living room, already piled high with moving boxes, and at the printed resignation letter sitting on the counter.I asked Adrian why no one had bothered to ask if I actually wanted to move.He taped up a box without looking up. "You work remote anyway. Clara is the lead on this project. We have to accommodate her."That was how I learned he and his "work wife," Clara Vance, had applied for this transfer six months ago.Clara had even picked out the new apartment building.Two units on the exact same floor, making it easy for them to collaborate 24/7.They'd even decided my desk would double as their makeshift conference table.I told him I was up for a director role and quitting wasn't an option.Adrian finally paused. "It's a middle management gig, Iris."Are you really going to nuke our marriage out of spite?"You're either coming or staying. But if long distance ruins us, that's on you."His handwriting was all over the boxes. [Kitchen, Master Bed, Misc.] And one that just said: [Her stuff.]In his grand plan for the future, I didn't even warrant a name. I was just baggage that needed to be hauled away.I used to worry that having too much stuff would slow him down.Now I realized my actual life was the one thing that would never fit into those boxes.The box was still sitting open.But the part of my heart that held our future was already empty. There was nothing left to pack.*****"Don't tape that." I grabbed his wrist. "My files are in there. I need them for next week."He ripped the tape and yanked out the top stack. "Pack your own stuff separately, then. Clara made a checklist. Just follow it."The printed checklist sat on top of the box. Bold text in the top right corner read: [Adrian& Clara.]My name wasn't on it.The front door unlocked. Clara strolled in holding two coffees. She handed Adrian a dark roast and slid the other toward me."Oh hey, Iris. Didn't know you were home. I would've grabbed you something," Clara said, sounding a bit surprised.I looked at the cup. "So this isn't for me?"Clara touched the side of the cup, her smile steady. "Adrian's stomach has been acting up."I grabbed two different roasts so he had options. You don't mind, right?"Adrian pulled the cup away from me. "Don't make a thing out of it, Iris. Come look at the floor plan."His laptop showed the blueprint for the new place.Master bedroom for us, guest room for his mom, and the den was marked "Shared Workspace."My desk was jammed right next to a massive conference table."Adrian and I work late," Clara pointed out. "This setup maximizes space. If we get loud, you can just pop in some AirPods.""That's my office," I said, a bit defensively."It's just a desk, Iris," Adrian snapped. "I'll buy you a smaller one for the bedroom if it's that huge of a deal."Clara tucked her tape measure away. "Please don't fight over me. I can just work from my place."It's just annoying going up and down the elevator. If we hit a snag, Adrian can just come to mine."Adrian glared at me. "Clara is bending over backward. Drop the desk issue."I didn't argue. I just pulled my files out of the box.My phone buzzed.It was a FaceTime from his mom, Sophia Ford.She saw the half-packed room and scowled. "Iris, Adrian is killing himself at work. Cut him some slack. This transfer is huge."Even Clara is making the move. You're his wife, you need to support him."Clara leaned into the frame. "Hi Mrs. Ford! It's totally fine that Iris is stressed about her job. I'll talk her down.""You're a lifesaver, Clara," Sophia gushed. "Make sure he eats. You know how he gets."I stood off-camera. Sophia didn't ask once about my promotion or if I wanted to move.After they hung up, Adrian tossed a blister pack of Zyrtec on the table. "It's dusty. Take one before I pack the rest."He remembered my cardboard allergy.I stared at his back, the word "divorce" dying on my tongue.Maybe he was just being a typical dense guy. Maybe he'd make it right once we moved.Clara pulled a face mask from her tote and handed it to him. "Good call reminding me to buy those pills last night, Adrian. Totally slipped my mind."I froze.So even his thoughtfulness was outsourced to Clara.The moving company called. Adrian put them on speaker. Clara grabbed the phone and ran through the checklist.She said, "Master is for the couple, guest is for the mother-in-law. Leave a bed in the den in case we work past midnight."I looked up. "Don't you live upstairs?""Sometimes we're grinding until 3 AM," Clara said, looking at Adrian. "Plus, I promised Sophia I'd make sure he gets his sleep.""It's a spare bed, Iris." Adrian sighed. "Chill out."The moving company was still on the line.Clara read off the box count to the movers. She paused at my stuff. "Let's re-label that one."'Dependent's Items' is better for the movers."Adrian grabbed a Sharpie and crossed out Her stuff.The word Dependent bled into the cardboard, completely erasing me.

Chapter 1