That night, after he went to bed, I opened my old personal checking account. The one I had never closed. The small emergency fund I had kept, just in case.
It was not much.
But it was enough.
I used it to hire a cleaner. I ordered all the food, drinks, and supplies for his birthday gathering.
About six hundred dollars.
Apparently, my recovery did not count as an emergency to him. But protecting myself did.
Hosting While Hurting
Friday night, the house looked spotless.
Jake walked in, impressed, and made a comment about how it “wasn’t that hard.” He even gave me a quick tap on the hip, like I was staff doing my job well.
His friends arrived soon after, loud and cheerful. I stayed on the couch in my neck brace, watching the baby monitor glow beside me.
No one asked if I needed anything.
Jake joked to his friends that I was “on leave” and had it easy, just hanging out with the baby all day.
I stared at the ceiling so I would not cry in front of everyone.
