Chapter 2
The blinding lights of the hospital corridor stretched my shadow long and thin against the floor.
My phone buzzed frantically in my pocket. I didn't even need to look to know it was Philip.
I ignored it, heading straight out into the hospital courtyard and claiming an empty bench.
The evening breeze bit at my cheeks, cold but refreshing enough to clear the chaotic mess in my head.
I opened iMessage, and sure enough, Philip's texts were blowing up my screen.
Philip: [Zoe, don't be mad. You know how my mom is. She just talks without a filter.]
Philip: [Can you please come back? You got her so worked up her blood pressure is spiking.]
Philip: [We've been together for so long. Are we really going to throw it all away over something this petty?]
Philip: [You were never like this before. Why are you suddenly being so cheap and calculating?]
Reading that last text, I actually let out a bitter laugh.
I was never like this before?
Yeah, damn right I changed.
I was finally done acting as a free ATM and full-time nanny for an overgrown man-child who took everything for granted.
And it was him and his manipulative mother who pushed me to this exact breaking point.
I didn't bother replying. I just switched my phone to "Do Not Disturb."
Instantly, the world went blissfully quiet.
I leaned back against the bench, looking up at the night sky that was sliced into jagged pieces by the surrounding skyscrapers.
A few lonely stars hung up there, dim and completely underwhelming.
It perfectly mirrored my four-year relationship. It seemed whole, but it was already rotten at the core, eaten away by time.
I don't know how much time passed before my phone screen lit up again.
It was a text from my best friend, Emily Lane.
She sent a zip file along with a single warning message.
Emily: [Girl, brace yourself. Major red flags ahead. Make sure you're sitting down before you open this.]
My stomach dropped. I had a terrible feeling about this.
I unzipped the file, and out spilled dozens of screenshots.
They were chat logs between Philip and his mother.
I tapped the first one.
Linda: [Son, Zoe hasn't been nagging you about a wedding lately, has she?]
Philip: [Nah, she's been pretty chill.]
Linda: [Good. Now listen to me. Do not let her put her name on the house deed before you get married. That property is yours. You hear me?]
My breath hitched in my throat.
I bought the house we were currently living in in full with my own money before we even got engaged.
Philip and his mother always assumed Philip was the one paying off a mortgage, simply because I kept my mouth shut to protect his fragile male ego.
I kept swiping.
Linda: [Also, you need to rein in her spending habits. You can't spoil a woman too much. Once you're married, she needs to hand over her paychecks. I'll be managing the family finances.]
Philip: [Mom, isn't that a little extreme?]
Linda: [Extreme? I'm looking out for your future! Look at all the useless garbage she buys for herself. She should be saving that money, so you can upgrade your car. A man needs a decent ride to keep up appearances.]
Linda: [You need to put her in her place. Once she marries you, she belongs to our family. She must wait on you hand and foot and respect me. That's her job. Don't let her walk all over you. Grow a spine!]
Philip: [Got it, Mom.]
When I scrolled through screenshot after screenshot, my hands and feet turned ice-cold.
I realized then my devotion was never cherished. To them, I was just behaving, performing a role that was simply my duty to play.
The love I thought we shared was nothing more than a carefully orchestrated scam by them.
They weren't looking for a wife.
They didn't want a family member. Indeed, they wanted a safety net, someone to handle the chores, fix their finances, and remain perfectly submissive while doing it for free.
And I was the ultimate sucker.
My stomach churned violently, nausea crashing over me in waves.
I sprinted to a nearby trash can, dry-heaving until my ribs ached, but nothing came up.
Nothing but the bitter sting of bile rose in my throat.
My phone lit up again. It was a FaceTime call from Philip.
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and swiped to answer.
On the screen, Philip's face was all scrunched up, with that same hospital room still visible in the background.
"Zoe, where the hell are you? Get back here right now, my mom is..."
"Philip."
I cut him off, my voice dropping to a freezing register.
"We need to talk."
He blinked, momentarily thrown off, before an annoyed sigh escaped his lips. "Whatever it is, it can wait until you get back. My mom needs someone here."
"Does she really?" I sneered. "How about I drop some files into your family group chat and your company's Slack channel? We can all talk about it together. Sound fun?"
I hit send, dropping one of the screenshots directly into his messages.
It was the exact text of Linda coaching him on how to "put me in my place."
The line went dead silent.
Through the screen, I watched the color drain from his face in real time, leaving him looking like a ghost.
His pupils blew wide, and his lips parted, but no sound came out, like an invisible hand was choking him.
"How... how did you get this?" he blurted out.
His voice was barely a whisper, thick with sheer panic and disbelief.
"Take a wild guess."
I was completely out of patience for his bullshit.
"Listen closely, Philip. You have two choices.
"Option one: you Venmo me the $1,000 for my caregiving services right now. Every last cent.
"Option two: I blast these screenshots to every single one of your relatives, your coworkers, and your boss.
"I'll let everyone admire how you, the perfect momma's boy, and your deeply 'righteous' mother plotted to exploit the woman you were supposed to marry.
"Your call."