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The tears kept spilling down Katherine's face.
She stared at me like she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"You're saying my parents are greedy?"
"Asher, don't forget what you served them the day they came. Leftovers straight out of the fridge!"
Her voice rose before she could stop it.
"Greedy for what? For your cold leftovers?"
"So what if I did?"
I gave a mocking little laugh.
"They had food to eat. That's already more than plenty."
"Look at all the homeless people out there who can't even afford a meal."
"Besides, it wasn't me. You're the one who insists on pinching pennies."
"You're the one who dug the leftovers out of the fridge to serve them. Nobody forced you."
Katherine lowered her head and said nothing.
Only her tears fell, one heavy drop after another, onto the floor.
If it had been before, back when we were still in love,
seeing her cry like this would have hurt me, and I'd have gone to comfort her.
But now it just annoyed me, so I waved her off.
"It's nothing. Just hurry up and go inside."
"I've got Tabitha's birthday to celebrate. Don't stand here being an eyesore."
On top of that, Tabitha was someone I'd gone and picked up myself.
Later she'd want me to take her out for karaoke.
And at midnight she needed her beauty sleep.
If I threw off her schedule, I'd have to buy another Chanel bag to smooth things over.
She caught the impatience in my tone,
but Katherine still didn't move.
She stood frozen there like a block of wood, silent for a long time.
Until Tabitha covered her nose and mouth and muttered from the side.
"What's that smell? It's so foul."
"Katherine, don't tell me you fell into a cesspit and soaked up the stink?"
Tabitha had been pampered since she was a child.
Everywhere she went, she wore perfume.
And right now, Katherine's clothes hadn't been changed or washed in days, so she really did give off an unpleasant smell.
Tabitha pinched her nose dramatically.
That little look of hers was honestly adorable.
It brought me right back to when we'd first fallen for each other.
I stepped back a few paces too, disgusted,
and went to stand beside Tabitha.
"Katherine, how much of a slob are you? How many days has it been since you showered?"
Katherine looked up, seeming to look at me, and yet not really.
Her eyes were hollow.
"How many days I've gone without a shower, Asher, don't you know that better than I do?"
I couldn't get a word out.
It was true. Katherine had called me a couple of days ago.
Her voice gentle, pleading with me.
"Asher, could you come down to the hospital?"
I'd been in the middle of a game with Tabitha, and the interruption left me irritated.
"I'm busy. What do you want me at the hospital for?"
Katherine went on in that same meek voice.
"Bring me a few changes of clothes."
"The hospital isn't like home."
"Mom and Dad's stomach infection is really bad, someone has to stay with them."
"I haven't changed clothes in days—"
Before she could finish,
I cut her off, impatient.
"Enough, enough!"
"Tabitha finally agreed to game with me for once. Can you not make trouble?"
"It's just clothes, isn't it? Aren't there malls out there? Can't you just go buy an outfit?"
"Stop calling me."
I said it coldly and hung up on her.
Sure enough, Katherine never went to a mall to buy new clothes.
And I knew her well enough.
Six years of scrimping and saving.
She'd put every last cent toward household costs, the water, the power, the gas.
She wouldn't spend money on new clothes.
Her embarrassment, her discomfort, she'd just endure it and it would pass.
Why be wasteful.
Like now, come home and take a shower, wasn't that the same thing?
Katherine bore Tabitha's mocking, contemptuous stare.
Her body stiff, she walked past me.
Except her steps stopped just as she reached me.
She turned back, fixed her eyes on mine, and asked.
"Asher, has it never once occurred to the two of you?"
"With not a cent to my name, how did I pay my parents' hospital bills?"
That gave me a beat's pause.
But only a second, and then I laughed again, mocking.
"How else would you pay? Your parents are the ones in the hospital, so they'd cover it themselves, obviously."
"They never sat still their whole lives. Must've squirreled away a decent nest egg."
"If they don't spend it now, what, save it for a headstone when they're dead?"
This time Katherine didn't cry. She wiped her tears dry and looked at me, all hope gone from her face.
"Fine. I hope that day never comes for you and your parents."
"Because if it does, I'll treat you exactly the same way."
With that, Katherine slammed the door hard and went back into the room.
My hands went still.
In my mind I kept replaying that resolute look in Katherine's eyes.
A wave of irritation rose in me.
"Forget it. I'm done worrying about her."
"Tabitha, didn't you want to record an unboxing video for your Chanel bag?"
"Come on, I'll be your phone stand."
"Do the unboxing right now."
I'd just pulled out my phone when a message popped up.
It was from my buddy Howard Fox.
"Asher, did you and your wife get into a fight a couple days ago? Haven't made up yet?"
I frowned.
"Who said we fought?"
Howard sent a baffled little sticker.
"It's just, a couple days ago I saw your wife get into some strange man's car in the middle of the night."
"I thought maybe… ah, never mind!"
