George yanked the blanket off Emily and barked, “Up!” Emily shielded herself with her arms and blinked in confusion
“Enjoy it while it lasts; the first chance I get, I’m gone,” she thought.
To avoid the house, Emily threw herself into work, staying late, taking overtime. Work was the only excuse George accepted for skipping chores.
Her efforts paid off. One day, her boss called her in. “I see you’re working hard, despite that recent absence. We need people like you. I’m offering a promotion, but it involves lots of travel. I heard you just got married; you might want time with your husband…”
“I’ll take it!” Emily exclaimed.
Her boss looked surprised. “Alright, you’re flying out this weekend.”
Emily returned from the trip heavy-hearted. In another city, she tasted freedom—evening walks, movies, ordering pizza to her hotel (George only allowed “proper, healthy food”), binge-watching shows till midnight.
Now, she felt like she was returning to a cage. Even Matt’s warm hug at the airport didn’t lift her mood. She realized she hadn’t missed him and wasn’t sure she still loved him.
As she unpacked, a text pinged her phone. Emily couldn’t believe her eyes and called her boss. “I just got money…”
“That’s your bonus; you saved us on that trip. Can we count on you moving forward?”
“Yes!” Emily nearly shouted. “Anytime, I’m all in!”
Matt peeked into the bedroom. “Why’re you yelling?”
Emily looked at him, her half-unpacked suitcase, her new bank balance, and said, “Matt, we’re getting divorced.”
“You’re joking?” he froze…
