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A hollow feeling crept into my chest when the morning after the gala broke. Liam claimed to have
back–to–back meetings, so he left early. He gave me a brief, hesitant kiss on the forehead that
could have once been comforting. It simply seemed hollow now.
I waited until his car’s hum subsided before taking his phone out of the drawer I had hidden it in
the previous evening. I hadn’t slept. Rather, I stayed up all night reliving everything Isabel had said, the messages I had seen, and Liam’s pretended innocence. The puzzle pieces were starting to
fit together, but I needed something tangible–unquestionable.
I unlocked the phone once more and went through the messages again. Isabel’s name was staring back at me like a taunt, and I couldn’t help but notice the intimacy and familiarity in her remarks. Deeper within their thread, however, was something else entirely. An allusion to a present.
“I appreciate the jewelry. It’s stunning.
I read it again and felt sick to my stomach. A wristband? My hands shook as I looked for further information, but that was the end of the chat. I quickly glanced across the room at Liam’s desk. There would be evidence in his belongings, if there was any.
I walked across the room and opened the top drawer. Pens, sticky notes, and a few business cards were among the typical debris found within. I combed through the jumble with deliberate finger movements. Then I discovered it: a crumpled receipt pushed to the drawer’s back.
I was instantly drawn to the Everette Jewelers emblem at the top. As I unfolded the paper and looked over the details, my heart was racing.
A bracelet made of diamonds. personalized engraving. $4,200.
Two weeks had passed since the date.
I slumped into the chair, breathing shallowly and quickly. Every new idea was like a dagger to my heart as my mind raced. I had been repeatedly deceived by him. He was purchasing jewelry for someone else while I was here, attempting to figure out what went wrong.
For her.
I stared at the receipt for what seemed like hours, as though it contained the solution to a question I was too shy to ask. Each wave of betrayal was more powerful than the one before it. I considered going up to him and asking him to explain himself, but I was stopped by a silent voice in the back of my mind.
Talking his way out of problems was something Liam was quite good at. He would misrepresent the facts and get me to question what I already knew if I faced him right now. No, I was unable to provide him the opportunity.
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I had to leave
The choice descended upon me with an odd sense of serenity. My mind felt clear for the first time
in days. I couldn’t continue to act like everything was alright in this fake relationship. However, I also couldn’t just leave without a plan. I hadn’t quite recognized how dominating Liam was until
now. If I wasn’t cautious, he would try to stop me.
Preparation took up the remainder of the day. I began modestly by moving my savings to a
different account and deleting the joint credit card we used. Although I secretly knew there was
no turning back, I told myself it was just in case.
I was packing by the evening. I took my clothing out of the closet quietly and precisely, folding them into a suitcase with the dexterity of someone who is attempting to hide their presence. My favorite books and a few framed pictures were placed inside a box. When I got to the photo of Liam and I from our first trip to Paris, I paused. He put his arm around my shoulders and we both smiled
at the camera as if nothing were wrong.
Before I put it away, my fingers lingered over the frame. Without the memories cutting through me like glass, I couldn’t take it with me.
The sound of the front door opening made me halt as I was zipping up my suitcase. I looked at the clock and felt my heart jump into my throat. It was supposed to be an hour before Liam returned
home.
His voice screamed out from the corridor, “Nora?”
Just as he entered the bedroom, I pushed the luggage into the closet and slammed the door. With his jacket draped over one shoulder and his tie untied, he gave me a questioning look.
He narrowed his eyes a little and muttered, “Hey.” “What are you doing?”
I said in a lighthearted manner, “Just clearing out some old stuff.”
Although he nodded, he looked at the closet for a longer period of time than I preferred. Are you alright? You have been somewhat aloof since yesterday night.
I hurriedly said, “I’m fine,” and sat down on the bed’s edge. “Just worn out.”
Liam sat next to me across the room. I no longer felt comforted by his warm, familiar touch as he -reached for my hand. He whispered, “I know the gala was a lot.” However, I did mean what I said.
Nora, we’re OK. Me and you.
Even though I felt like my face could break from the pressure, I forced a grin. “Obviously.”
Leaning forward, he kissed my temple. “I’ll place my dinner order. Your favorite, shall we?
I said, “All right,” as I watched him walk out of the room.
I hurried to the closet, took out the luggage, and shoved it under the bed as soon as I heard him on
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the phone in the kitchen. As I arranged the bedspread to cover the bulge, my hands trembled and my pulse pounded in my chest.
I had underestimated how difficult this would be.
I sat in the living room later that evening, after Liam had gone to bed, and I stared at the crumpled receipt on the coffee table. In the silence, the treachery weighed heavily, like if it were choking me. To feel like I had some control, I wanted to yell, scream, and break things.
However, I didn’t. Rather, I tucked the receipt inside my purse after folding it. It was the final
piece of proof I needed to confirm that it was the right decision to go.
My phone buzzed on the table as I got up to go to bed. I frowned at the unidentified number when I
took it up.
“Did you locate what you were trying to find? You underestimate how bad it is.
The message sent a shiver down my spine, and my stomach fell.
This person knew a lot more than I did. Furthermore, I wasn’t sure if I was prepared for the reality.
