Sophia drove me home. I cried, not because Chuck was gone, but because I had almost believed him.
“You did good,” Sophia said.
“He was exposing your nonsense.”
“I should’ve seen it sooner.”
“No,” she said. “He wanted you doubting yourself. That’s different.”
Advertisement
When I walked in, Max rushed to me and pressed against my knee.
“You knew,” I whispered.
His tail thumped.
“I should’ve seen it sooner.”
***
That evening, Chuck came home. He looked smaller, not sorry, just caught.
“We need to talk,” he said.
“No. You need to pack a bag.”
Advertisement
He stared. “You’re kicking me out?”
“I’m asking you to leave tonight. Tomorrow, I’m calling a divorce attorney, and I’m saving every receipt and photo.”
His jaw tightened. “You can’t end our marriage over a joke.”
“You’re kicking me out?”
“A joke?” I said.
He rubbed his face. “It started that way. I messed with you because you were so wrapped up in Max and every little thing. Then I realized how unhappy I was. I wanted more, but I didn’t want to be the bad guy.”
Advertisement
“So you made me look obsessed.”
“I thought if you felt stupid enough, paranoid enough, you’d leave first.”
The room went silent.
“Iwanted more.”
I nodded slowly. “Thank you.”
He blinked. “For what?”
“For finally saying it without costume changes and props.”
He looked toward Max. “Come here, boy.”
Advertisement
Max didn’t move.
“Come here, boy.”
“Don’t call him like he owes you loyalty,” I said. “He already gave it to the person who needed it.”
Chuck packed while I stood by the door.
Before leaving, he whispered, “I didn’t mean for it to go this far.”
“You wrote dates in a notebook,” I said. “You knew exactly how far you wanted it to go.”
Advertisement
He had no answer.
“Don’t call him like he owes you loyalty.”
***
After he left, I locked the door, changed every password I had shared with him, and saved the proof.
Days later, his mother called. “Chuck said you humiliated him.”
I sent one photo: “Call her paranoid.”
She called back. “I’m sorry, Monica.”
Advertisement
“Me too.”
The last time Chuck whistled for Max, my dog stayed beside me.
Chuck wanted me confused.
Max kept bringing me the truth until I was ready to see it.
