My husband promised to pick me up after the ER discharged me. Instead, I stepped into the hospital pickup lane and found a text: he’d already left for his parents’ anniversary trip, and I should call a ride.

It wasn’t about dinner.

It wasn’t even about his parents’ anniversary.

Caleb had decided that my needs were an inconvenience.

And somehow, he had already prepared a story that made him look like the victim.

I hung up.

Five minutes later, my phone buzzed.

It was Kara.

Kara:
Mom wants to talk to you.

I almost ignored it.

Then another message appeared.

She just found something in Caleb’s bag.

My heart began pounding.

“What?”

Kara sent one more text.

An envelope with your name on it.

I stared at the screen.

Then she wrote:

“And I don’t think Caleb knows that Mom opened it.”