Chapter 4
That evening, Neo came home and asked, "Where did you go today?"
I replied, "Just went to the supermarket to pick up a few things."
"Oh," he said.
He didn't ask anything else.
I didn't say anything more either.
As I looked at his face, memories of when we first met a decade ago suddenly flooded back.
Back then, he was thirty, and I was twenty-five.
He took me out to dinner and said, "Vivian, you're not like other girls."
I asked, "How so?"
He replied, "You're really independent, and you always think for yourself."
I smiled.
Looked what happened after that.
I quit my job and became a full-time housewife. My whole world started to revolve around him.
All those things that made me different in his eyes had disappeared long ago.
I'd become exactly what he wanted. But now, he didn't want me anymore.
What he wanted was Stella, that young, beautiful twenty-seven-year-old from his office.
What he wanted was something new.
He never once thought about how I gave all my youth to him.
From twenty-five to thirty-five, the best ten years of my life, I'd devoted them all to this family.
That night, I had a dream.
I dreamed I was standing on the edge of a cliff, with nothing but an endless abyss below.
I tried to step back, but there was another cliff behind me.
There was nowhere to go.
When I woke up, it was still dark outside.
Neo was sleeping next to me, snoring.
I looked at his profile and suddenly felt like he was a stranger.
Was this man really my husband?
Was he the father of our child?
Was this really the man I had given ten years of my life to?
I got out of bed and sat in the living room.
It was getting light outside. The city was waking up.
The sounds of cars, people, and street vendors drifted in from outside.
It was time for me to finally wake up and start living my own life.
*****
Three days later, I got an interview invitation.
It was for a marketing specialist position at a mid-sized company.
The pay wasn't great: 2 thousand a month. But I got weekends off, plus full benefits.
Most importantly, I finally had a chance to start over and work again.
For the interview, I wore the same old down jacket I'd had for four years.
The interviewer was a woman in her forties, rocking pearl earrings and carrying herself with real elegance.
She looked over my resume and said, "So you have a background in marketing?"
"Yeah, from 2013 to 2015," I replied.
"Why did you leave?" she asked.
I paused for a moment. Then I said, "I had a child and stayed home for a few years."
"Oh," she said.
She skimmed through my resume again.
"It's been ten years since you last worked. What made you decide to come back now?" she asked.
I replied, "My child has grown up now, so I want to start working again."
She shot me a look.
I could read it in her eyes.
Ten years as a stay-at-home mom, thirty-five, and I'd have to relearn everything from scratch. What did I have to offer?
I took a deep breath and said, "I know I've been away from work for a long time, and I have a lot to catch up on. But I'm willing to start from scratch: working late, taking on business trips, whatever it takes."
She didn't say anything.
I added, "I'm the breadwinner for two. Well, actually, just me and my kid now. I really need this job."
The interviewer was momentarily taken aback.
Then she smiled. "Alright, we'll let you know. Just wait for our update."
A week later, I got the job offer: 2 thousand, weekends off, starting next Monday.
I looked at the text message, my eyes stinging a little.
Ten years ago, I was making 3 thousand a month. Now, after all this time, I was down to 2 thousand.
It felt like I'd taken a step back.
But that was okay. At least I had an income now.
At least I didn't have to go to Neo for money anymore.
*****
That night, Neo came home late.
It was 11:30 PM, and I was already in bed.
He came into the bedroom and shot me a look. He asked, "You're still awake?"
"Can't sleep," I said.
"Something bothering you?" he asked.
I said, "I got a job."
He was stunned for a moment. He asked, "What?"
"I got a job. I start next Monday," I repeated.
He frowned and asked, "Why did you get a job? What about our kid?"
"My mom can help with pickups and drop-offs," I said.
"Your mom's not in the best health. Are you sure she can handle it?" he asked.
I replied, "I already asked her. She said she's up for it."
Neo looked annoyed. "Why didn't you even talk to me before you decided to get a job?"
I looked at him.
The sentence "Did you ever ask me before you had an affair?" hovered on the tip of my tongue.
But I held back.
Not yet. I wasn't ready for that.
I said, "Didn't you say money's been tight lately? If I start working, I can help take some of the pressure off you."
He was silent for a few seconds. "Suit yourself."
He headed for the shower.