I never thought my husband would leave me at a bus stop like I was garbage he wanted to throw away. But that’s exactly what Derek did on a Tuesday afternoon that started like any other day and ended with me meeting someone who would change my entire life. That morning, I woke up to Derek slamming drawers in our bedroom.
I could feel the anger radiating off him before he even said a word. I’d been married to him for five years, and I’d learned to recognize the signs. The tight jaw.
The heavy footsteps. The way he wouldn’t look at me directly. “Olivia, we need to talk,” he said, his voice cold and sharp.
I sat up in bed, my heart already starting to race. He threw a piece of paper at me. It fluttered onto the blanket, and when I picked it up I saw it was our credit card statement.
Groceries from three days ago. A birthday gift for my mother, who was recovering from surgery. Gas for my car.
Nothing unusual. Nothing extravagant. “Care to explain this?” Derek asked, crossing his arms.
“I don’t understand,” I said softly. “These are normal expenses. We talked about getting something nice for my mom since she’s been so sick.”
“You spent eighty dollars on a gift when we’re trying to save money.
And look at this grocery bill. A hundred and forty dollars. What did you buy?
Gold-plated vegetables?”
I felt my cheeks flush. “Derek, that’s groceries for two weeks. I used coupons.
I bought store brands like I always do. And the gift for my mom was a cozy blanket and some books. She’s been in bed for weeks.”
“Always an excuse with you.
You know what your problem is, Olivia. You don’t understand the value of money. You’ve never had to struggle.
You just spend and spend without thinking about consequences.”
That wasn’t fair, and he knew it. I worked part-time at the library, and every penny of my paycheck went into our joint account. I clipped coupons.
I shopped sales. I wore the same clothes for years. But Derek had been saying things like this more and more lately, and I’d learned that arguing only made it worse.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, because that’s what he wanted to hear. “I’ll be more careful.”
“Sorry isn’t enough anymore.” He grabbed his car keys from the dresser. “Get dressed.
We’re going out.”
He said we were going to my mother’s house. That she needed a visit. Derek never volunteered for the drive to my mother’s house.
What happened next changed everything… FULL STORY on the next page.
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