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“Oh, she’s still on the beach sipping margaritas. You’re dealing with Kimberley now. She’s a vindictive bitch who will make your life a living hell for making her live in this apartment.”
“How do I get Rose on the phone?”
“Well, first you’d have to actually talk to her.”
“That’s the whole point of getting her on the phone,” I said in frustration.
“Yeah, it’s not looking too good for you right now.”
“And why is that?”
“Well, from what she told me, you spent all of yesterday working, even though you said you were taking the day off.”
“Rose,” I groaned. “Please don’t start this bullshit with me. I know you understand.”
“I do,” she said, finally acknowledging that I was talking to her again. “But let me tell you something, I won’t be the wife you want. I can’t stand this bullshit, and the more I think about it, the more pissed I am that we’re in this situation. So, I’m going to deal with this how I want.”
“Okay,” I said hesitantly.
“I’m getting a job.”
“That’s fine.”
“And I won’t be attending any charity functions or galas.”
“Rose, I have to attend. You know that.”
“And I understand that, but I won’t be.”
“You’re going to make me attend alone, without my wife? Do you know how that will look?”
“You never cared about how anything looked before. Why does it matter now?”
“Because this isn’t just me stuck in this situation,” I snapped. “I go to work every day to a job I hate. But I do it because I signed that contract. Webothdid. I don’t care if you go get a job or if you meet up with friends. This is your life and I want you to live it how you want, but there are certain expectations upon both of us, and if we fail, what was the point of any of this?”
I could hear the harsh breathing over the phone. I knew this wasn’t something she wanted, but we were stuck, and until I found a way out, we had to deal with it.
“Rose, we will get through this, but I need you by my side. I can’t do this alone.”
“I can’t stay here alone every day,” she said quietly.
“You won’t be. I promise.”
But as I looked down at my desk, at all the crap I still had to do for the day, I realized it would be a promise I could never keep. Somehow, I would have to find a way to make this work with Rose. The last thing I wanted was for her to be miserable. As I tried to come up with a solution to our problem, I realized I was Alexander, the man she thought she would have to suffer through marriage with.
* * *
I calledRose on the way home. It was after seven, but I hoped she would forgive me. I was doing everything I could to get out of the office earlier, but too many things happened to change my plans.
“Yes?”
I winced at the bite in her voice. She wasn’t happy with me yet again. “I’m on my way home. Do you want me to pick up dinner?”
“No, I already ate.”
“I’m sorry, I’ll call next time.”
She sighed. We both knew I would forget. “Do you have more work to do when you get home?”
