My voice was so calm it frightened even me.
"I hope you wear it always."
I pushed the front door open and walked out into the cold dark.
Joel's contemptuous scoff hit my back before the door closed.
"How many times are you going to play this little game? Doesn't it bore even you?"
"Tomorrow you'll crawl right back and beg."
I got into the rideshare.
The driver asked where I was headed.
I gave him the address of the private women's hospital downtown.
My phone screen lit up.
A message from Joel.
"Get your ass back here tonight and apologize to Lily, or I'm killing your card in the morning."
I looked at it for two seconds.
Then blocked his number.
Every social media account, every messaging app. Deleted, all of it.
Neon slid past the car window, light and shadow smearing across the glass.
Five years ago, Joel's startup had just collapsed. Creditors tracked him down—cornered him in an alley and beat him until he couldn't stand.
I stepped in front of him and took the bat meant for his head.
He held me—blood soaking through my hair, dripping down my temples—and sobbed like a child.
"Pauline, I swear I'll never let you suffer. Not ever."
"I'm going to give you the best of everything this world has."