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Allison: The one where we know what our priorities are.
Our priorities?
What the fuck was she talking about?
My anger raged before slowly melting away and leaving an entirely different emotion in its stead.
Sadness.
I wanted her to come home. I wanted to fix things—be us again—to hold her and know she was never going to leave me.
Me: I don’t want you to go, Allison. Come home.
Allison: I will, but when I’m ready. I need time, ok? It will be fine.
I was about to respond when my phone dinged yet again with another message from her.
Allison: Don’t forget to take that paperwork to Addy. I’m about to board. Au revoir!
Au revoir?
Quickly, I called her. This time, it went straight to voicemail.
My anger spiked yet again, and I picked up the lamp next to my side of the bed and slammed it against the wall.
A few days back from our honeymoon and she was already running away from us. After everything we talked about on our honeymoon. After all the I love yous we said to each other.
Sitting on the bed, I held my head in my hands and took a deep breath. I wasn’t one to fly off the handle. I was always so calculated and reserved. I couldn’t let her strange behavior push me over the edge.
The hot water in the shower did nothing to take the edge off, and after I dressed and got ready for work, I decided to take the day off. The company could run without me for a day. I needed time to figure out what was going on in my marriage.
After making myself a few eggs, I sat at the kitchen island and ate. That was when I saw the paperwork Allison had left for her sister, Addison. Skimming the top page, I saw that it was a bunch of health insurance talk.
I flipped through the pages, and as I did, a sad story emerged.
Not enough health insurance.
Frank Banks.
Cancer.
Expensive treatments.
And then at the very bottom was the paperwork where the family was trying to apply for financial assistance with his treatments.
The Banks family was broke, and no one in our social circle knew. Hell, I was married to his daughter, and even I didn’t know.
Then a thought occurred to me. Maybe Allison’s attitude changed the day before, and her sudden disappearance that morning had more to do with her father’s sickness and less to do with our marriage.
Was he getting worse?
Was she upset?
I knew when we married that we each had ulterior motives. Mine was the family business, but what was hers?
Did she marry me for my money?
And if so, was it for her father’s cancer treatments?
