Chapter 3 - THE APARTMENT THEY PROMISED AWAY
I slowly turned toward Luke.
“Did you know about this?”
He stared at the table.
“Luke.”
He rubbed his forehead.
“Can we not do this right now?”
That was my answer.
He knew.
They had discussed giving away my property without even bothering to ask me.
I reached behind my back and untied my apron.
Then I folded it neatly and placed it on the table.
“I'm not washing another dish tonight.”
Brenda's face twisted with anger.
“Then get out.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
“You heard me.
Get out of this house.”
Luke finally looked up.
But instead of defending me, he shook his head.
“Hannah, you're making this worse.”
I waited.
I gave him one final chance to be my husband instead of his mother's obedient son.
He didn't take it.
Five minutes later, Brenda was upstairs throwing my belongings down the staircase.
My clothes landed in tangled piles.
A bottle of expensive perfume struck the wooden steps and shattered.
The scent filled the hallway.
Then she grabbed our framed wedding photograph.
She hurled it after my clothes.
The glass broke directly across Luke's smiling face.
I stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching the fragments scatter.
Strangely, that was the moment I stopped feeling humiliated.
I just felt finished.
Luke stood near the front door, looking irritated rather than concerned.
“Go stay with Maya for a few days,” he muttered.
“Let Mom calm down.
Then come back and apologize.”
I looked at him.
“You want me to apologize?”
“You refused to help and embarrassed everyone.”
“My hand is burned.”
“It's not that serious, Hannah.”
I looked at the man I'd married.
Four years.
Four years of protecting his feelings, paying his family's bills, and convincing myself that patience would eventually earn me respect.
And now he was telling me to apologize because I couldn't wash his sister's plate.
I picked up my purse.
As I reached the door, Brenda shouted from upstairs.
“And leave the Atlanta apartment keys!
Luke already gave me a copy of the deed!”
May you like
I stopped.
