By 6 p.m., I’d already sighed five times. Between grading papers and getting another overdue utility notice, I was spent. From the living room, Steve yelled excitedly about the new Tesla. “We might not have power tomorrow,” I muttered. He barely acknowledged me. As usual, I handled the bills, groceries—everything. On my way to change, something slipped from his coat pocket: a paper receipt.
$10,234. Luxury Seaside Resort. 2 guests. 14 nights.
“Steve?” I asked, confronting him. “Oh, that. A gift for Mom and… her friend,” he said flatly. “You didn’t even buy me flowers on my birthday.” “They wilt.” Later, I went to check for camp scholarship replies and stumbled on a Facebook story: Steve’s mom… and Lora—his ex—drinking champagne by the ocean.
“Thanks, Steve ”
That night, while he showered with the bathroom door locked, I found his open laptop. His mom’s message read:
“We’re being treated like queens.”
“How long are you going to keep pretending with that woman?”
Steve’s reply?
“My two favorite girls. I’ll be there soon.”
I wasn’t his wife—I was a placeholder.
I didn’t yell. I planned.
A week later, our school bus rolled toward camp. I paid for everything—so all 22 kids could go. T-shirts read: Team Room 12 – We Did It!
The night before, I packed Steve’s belongings in labeled garbage bags: Denial. Deceit. Delusion. Golf clubs on the porch. Toothbrush on the mat.
Taped to the door:
“Hope you enjoy life with your favorite girls. Don’t forget sunscreen. See you in court. XOXO”
As cheers erupted from the back seat—“Miss El! Is that a zip line?!”—I smiled.
This time, I wasn’t the one being left behind.
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