The day I cut my business trip short.
I was planning to slip back into our marital home, set the place up, and give Victor Sanchez a birthday surprise.
But when I pushed the door open, all I saw was a mess strewn across the floor.
Victor had already started his birthday celebration with his junior from the lab.
My beige sheets had been swapped out for the blue bunny print Kathleen Fox loved best.
Even the vanity was lined with cosmetics that weren't mine.
Half a month away on business, and nearly every trace of my life here had been wiped clean.
Worse still, even the entry code had been changed.
I knocked until the door opened, and met Victor's startled eyes.
"Why are you back so early."
I didn't answer. I turned and looked toward the living room.
On the table, the dishes I'd treasured and tucked away in the cabinet, the ones I'd never let myself use, were spread out and piled with the Japanese food Kathleen loved, and a cake.
"So the two of you started the birthday early. Why didn't you call me?"
I reached toward the cake, and Kathleen instantly knitted her brow.
"I'm so sorry, Marie Henson. I have a thing about germs. Could you use a different dish?"
But the cabinet was bare. There wasn't a single spare plate left.
The next second, Victor picked up the dog bowl off the floor, set a slice of cake in it, and handed it to me.
"There aren't any other bowls in the house right now. Just make do with this for now."
——
I stood there, frozen, not moving, and he let out a sigh.
"This bowl is clean. It's been washed."
"There's nothing I can do. Kathleen has a thing about germs. Those dishes are hers. If you touch them, she'll cry."
His face wasn't joking, and my throat tightened.
"Victor, are you serious?"
He frowned a little.
"What's there to turn your nose up at?"
"I washed it three times. Used the same dish soap you always use, the lemon-scented one. Smell it."
He pushed the bowl up under my nose.
I didn't pull back, and I didn't smell it. I just looked at the faint pale band still circling his ring finger.
Worn for three years. Off for how long now?
Half a month?
I didn't even know. And I didn't want to know anymore.
"Victor, move."
I turned sideways toward the bedroom. He shifted to block me without thinking, and my shoulder shoved past him.
Kathleen suddenly let out a yelp, as if she'd been startled.
"Marie, I'm so sorry, I didn't know you'd be back early, Victor said you wouldn't be until next week…"
I ignored her and went straight for the bedroom door, opening it.
The next second, I froze.
My beige bedding set was gone, replaced by a set of bright blue bunny-print linens.
A few plush rabbits slumped beside the pillows.
On the vanity, everything that belonged to me was gone too.
My heart dropped, and I crossed the room fast to dig through the drawers.
"What are you looking for?"
Victor had followed me in, leaning against the doorframe, frowning at me.
"You're back two minutes and already tearing the place apart. I forgot to tell you, Kathleen's been using your bedroom these past few days."
"She doesn't like people barging into her room. Come out first."
I lifted my head in disbelief. "Her bedroom?"
I almost laughed from sheer anger.
"Victor, have you lost your mind? I bought this place. I'm still paying off the mortgage."
"It's already generous of me to take you in here, and you actually wait until I'm away on business to hand my bedroom over to someone else?"
Three years together, and Victor had drifted from place to place, away on business most of the time.
I'd ached for him, with nowhere to call home, so I let him move into my place.
But now, he'd made himself master of this house, plain as day.
He could even decide whether I stayed or went.
"Marie."
Victor closed his eyes for a moment, forcing down his temper. "Kathleen was going to celebrate my birthday tonight. I don't want to fight with you."
