Chapter 4
Daniel expected me to apologize before he reached the front door.
Instead, I picked up the appraisal for the lake house and called the number printed at the top.
The real estate agent introduced herself as Linda. The moment she heard my name, her voice brightened.
“Mrs. Whitman, I was about to contact you. The photographer is available Monday morning. After that, we can schedule the pre-listing inspection.”
“What listing?”
She hesitated.
“The lake property. Mr. Whitman said you wanted to move quickly.”
“The house is in my name alone. I haven’t agreed to sell it, and I haven’t given anyone permission to enter.”
I heard papers shifting on her end.
“Mr. Whitman said you had agreed and that he was handling the arrangements because you had some family matters going on.”
“Cancel the photographer and the inspection. Please put it in writing that you are not authorized to do anything with the property unless you receive confirmation directly from me.”
Her tone became more careful. “I’ll email you right away.”
After the call, I stared at the appraisal.
Daniel had claimed he was considering every possible option. In reality, he had already contacted an agent and scheduled the first steps toward selling my house.
Just as he had already scheduled the pawnshop appointment.
He wasn’t asking for my consent. He was waiting for me to approve a decision he had already made.
I went upstairs and pulled a suitcase from the closet. I packed several changes of clothes, my medication, toiletries, my laptop, and its charger.
Our wedding album sat on the top shelf. I touched the spine, then left it where it was. The album was bulky, and the suitcase was nearly full.
I took my birth certificate, passport, three years of tax returns, and the claim ticket for my mother’s watch.
Daniel appeared in the bedroom doorway while I was sliding the documents into my laptop bag.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m staying at the lake house for a few days.”
“You’re actually leaving?”
I zipped the suitcase. “You said you weren’t keeping a place for me.”
“I was angry.”
“The agent said you scheduled a photographer for Monday.”
His gaze shifted to the appraisal on the bed.
“I needed to know what the house was worth.”
“You told her I had agreed to sell it.”
“If the company collapses, you won’t be able to protect that house forever.”
“It’s inherited property. It has nothing to do with your company.”
“So now we’re separating what’s yours and what’s mine?”
“You were the one who put my property on a repayment list.”
Daniel stepped into the room and blocked the suitcase.
“Eighteen people depend on this company for their paychecks. Are you going to sit in an empty house and feel good while they lose their jobs?”
“Show me the books.”
“We’re back to this again?”
“We never left it. You still haven’t answered me.”
He lowered his voice. “Celeste was right. The second you thought life might become uncomfortable, you started planning your escape.”
I tightened my grip on the suitcase handle.
“Then you should be relieved. You don’t have to wonder anymore.”
Daniel didn’t move.
Neither did I.
After a few seconds, he stepped aside.
“If you walk out that door, don’t expect me to come get you.”
“I’m not asking you to.”
I carried the suitcase downstairs and put my laptop bag in the car. Daniel stood on the porch with both hands in his pockets.
He didn’t help with my bags. He didn’t ask whether the heat at the lake house still worked.
As I drove away, I saw him pull out his phone in the rearview mirror.
The lake house was forty minutes outside the city. I rarely visited after my mother died, though I paid a neighbor to check the roof and pipes every few months.
The house smelled stale when I opened the door. The furnace rattled hard when it started, and the kitchen faucet ran yellow for almost a minute before the water cleared.
I set my suitcase in the bedroom where I had slept as a child, then sat on the edge of the bare mattress.
My phone buzzed.
Grace had sent me a message.
Dad says you moved out. Is that true?
I typed a long explanation, read it, and deleted the whole thing.
Finally, I replied:
I’m at Grandma’s lake house. I’m safe. We can talk when you’re ready.
Grace didn’t answer.
A few minutes later, another message appeared.
This one was from Daniel.
Since you’ve chosen to live separately, you can cover your own expenses. Don’t touch the joint account or use the family credit cards again.
I read it twice.
The night before, Daniel had demanded my mother’s watch and house as proof that I was willing to share his burden.
Now, because I refused to sign away my property without seeing the truth, he intended to leave me without grocery money.