Chapter 2
The next morning, the property manager's call woke me up. "Ms. Simmons, Mr. Hayes has requested to change the household management rights. We need your confirmation."
The community system had been upgraded, so every household could now set up a second manager to handle access, maintenance, and visitor notifications.
Andrew had applied to take away my shared access and set Summer as the new co-manager.
He said it was because I was still away getting treatment and wouldn't be back anytime soon.
I stared at the empty hospital room door. "I don't agree."
The property manager rejected the request.
Less than a minute later, Andrew called. "Why are you blocking Summer's access?"
"That's my home," I replied.
"You're in the hospital. Why do you even need those notifications?
"I'm giving her long-term access because I don't want anything to happen to her when she's there by herself."
"Last night, you promised you'd come pick me up in two hours."
There was a pause on the other end.
His voice softened. "She was having panic attacks all night. I couldn't leave her.
"Tara, I'm not leaving you behind.
"I know you're strong enough to wait, but she can't."
My phone buzzed with a notification: [66,700 dollars.]
With a note: [Buy a bag, chill out.]
"What's this money for?" I asked.
Andrew chuckled. "Didn't you have your eye on that bag? Go ahead and buy it.
"If all I cared about was her, would I even remember what you like?"
He remembered what I liked.
He knew I was easy to coax.
So every time he hurt me, he always knew how to hand me half a compensation, enough to keep me from walking away.
That afternoon, the master bedroom's walk-in closet started leaking.
Before the repairman came in, he video-called me, as required by the property management.
He propped his phone on his toolbox, aimed it at the leaky corner, then turned to check the pipes.
In the frame, Summer sat on the edge of the bed in my nightgown, her bare feet dangling off the side.
Andrew was behind her, gently drying her hair.
When the blow dryer got close to her ear, he cupped his hand around it to protect her from the heat.
The day after we got married, he dried my hair, too.
But less than three minutes in, he handed the dryer back to me, grinning. "No lifetime service, but a kiss can extend the warranty."
Turns out, it wasn't that he lacked patience.
It's that I never needed him to take care of me like that.
The repairman was about to move the box in the corner.
But Summer got there first, crouching down and pulling out an envelope from the maternity hospital. "Is this Tara's medical report?"
Andrew froze.
He'd already seen the diagnosis I sent him, so he knew what that box held.
But Summer rubbed her forehead, complaining her head was hurting again.
Andrew slipped the envelope back into the box. "Don't look at it."
"Where should I put the box?" the repairman asked.
"Put it in the storage room. If she comes back and wants it, I'll grab it for her," Andrew replied.
Then, Andrew picked Summer up and gently placed her on our bed. "Lie down. Let me massage you for a bit."
Summer snuggled into his arms and whispered, "When Tara comes back, will she make me leave?"
"No."
"How do you know?"
Andrew smiled. "She can't bring herself to leave me."
The repairman picked up his phone, and the video call ended.
Andrew sent me a message right after. [I'll leave the property access as it is. I'm giving Summer permanent access. I'll leave the light on for you at home.]
He let Summer move into my bedroom, then told me the light was still on for me.
I sent the 66,700 dollars back.
The note said: [I don't need it.]
Then, I transferred out the money that was mine from our joint account and had my lawyer put protections in place for the house, the accounts, and all my documents.
The system popped up a notification: [Tara has left the family sharing group.]
I stared at that line for a long time.
Back then, it still hurt that he didn't trust me.
Now, I was disgusted.