Chapter 1I've had a bad tooth for five years now.
Every time I brought it up, my husband would roll his eyes.
"It's just a cavity. Not a big deal."
Then he'd go on about how hard he works and tell me to stop wasting money.
I felt so bad I stopped mentioning it.
Until Jaxon's childhood friend Dahlia got a cavity too.
He drove her to the hospital right away, got her the best doctor, the best materials—everything.
Three hours later, her tooth was fixed.
When they got home, he kept asking his AI about aftercare. Wrote everything down.
Watching him care so much made my tooth start hurting again.
This time I didn't say anything about the pain.
I just said, "Jaxon, let's get divorced."
...
He looked up.
"What's wrong with you now?"
"I'm busy. Don't start."
Then went back to his phone.
"Hey Siri, what should someone avoid eating after getting a filling?"
The AI answered fast:
"Soft foods are best—mashed potatoes, eggs, yogurt..."
"Avoid ribs, steak, anything hard. You could damage the filling."
Jaxon stopped writing and looked at me.
"Don't make ribs or pot roast tonight. Can't risk messing up Dahlia's tooth."
I just stood there.
Pot roast and ribs were my favorite—my birthday meal every year.
Every year Jaxon would go to the farmers market early and get everything for me.
Except this year. He forgot.
This morning Dahlia called about her tooth and he rushed over there.
"Is Dahlia coming for dinner?" I asked.
He nodded. "Mentioned it this morning."
My chest hurt. "I can make everything really soft."
"Or make her something separate so it won't bother her tooth."
He frowned. "Does it HAVE TO be those dishes?"
"If you make them, how's she supposed to not eat them?"
My eyes burned. "Jaxon, it's my birthday..."
He shrugged. "I know."
"That's why she's coming over. You should think about her."
"The food's not going anywhere. Just wait until tomorrow. Is that so hard?"
That word again—wait.
Wait through five years of tooth pain.
Wait through everything.
Now wait to eat what I want on my own birthday.
Seeing my face, he softened. "She's our guest. We need to be nice."
"I know you're mad. I'll make it up to you later, okay?"
His "make it up to you" was just code for "do what I want."
Before, I would've let it go.
Not this time.
"Then take me to fix my tooth tomorrow too."
His face went dark. Like I'd asked for the world.
"I knew this was about the tooth."
"Why do you always compare yourself to everyone?"
"If someone has something, you need it too. Dahlia never acts like this."
I smiled but felt empty inside.
Of course Dahlia was different.
Jaxon fixed her problems before she even asked.
Me?
I could fight for something and still not get it.
I felt exhausted. Too tired to fight.
"Think whatever you want."
I went to the bedroom.
My phone lit up with birthday messages.
That's when I realized—Jaxon hadn't said happy birthday once today.
When we first dated, he'd stay up just to be first.
Then his messages came later and later.
Then I had to remind him.
I used to make excuses for him.
Now I couldn't think of one.
I pulled out the divorce papers I'd been hiding.
Picked up a pen.
On that wrinkled paper I'd looked at so many times, I signed my name.
Chapter 2
I didn't realize I was crying until I wiped my face.
Lay down and passed out.
When I woke up, it was evening.
My head felt wrong.
I touched my face—burning hot.
The thermometer said 102.
It was 7 PM. When Jaxon usually got home.
I sat up and tried calling him to take me to the hospital.
The phone rang and rang.
Then that robot voice: "The person you're calling is on another line."
I tried again. And again.
Nothing.
Jaxon never ignored my calls, even when we fought.
My heart dropped.
What if something happened to him?
Then I heard keys in the lock.
Jaxon walked in—with Dahlia.
The guy who cared so much about looking good in front of me bent down and changed Dahlia's shoes for her.
Sat her on the couch. Brought her water.
I dragged myself over. "Why didn't you answer?"
He pulled out his phone. My missed calls filled the screen.
He selected all of them and deleted them.
"Dahlia fell asleep in the car. I put it on silent. What did you need?"
My throat closed up.
Such a nothing excuse made all my worry feel stupid.
I was about to say I had a fever when he suddenly said, "You didn't cook?"
I started to explain but he got mad.
"Just because I told you not to make ribs and roast, you didn't make anything?"
"I never knew how petty you were!"
My head was pounding. "No, I have a fev—"
"Stop."
He cut me off.
"Stop making excuses."
Dahlia walked over with tears in her eyes.
"Harper, did I upset you by coming over?"
"If it's my fault, I'll leave."
Jaxon stepped in front of her. "This isn't about you. Some people are just bitter."
"You're my guest. I'm not sending you home hungry. Let's go out."
"As for SOME PEOPLE—stay home and think about what you did."
He took Dahlia's hand and left.
Before walking out, he slammed the door hard.
The second he turned around, I collapsed.
...
When I came to, the streetlights were on.
My phone was silent. Not one message from Jaxon.
But his Instagram had new posts.
One photo made my stomach drop: him and Dahlia holding hands under a ferris wheel.
I saved it and opened our texts.
I started typing angry questions. Deleted them. Typed again.
Then I noticed something.
Our whole conversation was just me talking to myself.
Then I deleted everything.
What was the point?
He wouldn't answer anyway.
Chapter 3
Midnight.
Jaxon finally came home with a strawberry cake.
He put it on the table. "Got you a cake. Make a wish."
I didn't move.
This was so him. Hurt me, then throw me a treat.
His back-and-forth had messed with my head for five years.
I was done trying to figure out if he still loved me.
"It's past midnight," I said.
He looked up. "So?"
"Jaxon, my birthday's over."
"You can't make up a birthday. Once it's gone, it's gone."
He froze for a second.
Then he went cold again. Shoved the cake away and sat down.
"Fine. Don't eat it. I'll throw it out."
He kept glancing at me. Waiting.
Waiting for me to cave. To say sorry first.
I used to think someone had to apologize first in every fight.
He worked hard. I didn't want more conflict.
So I was always the one who said sorry.
But doing it over and over changed things.
Made him think he was above me.
Made him assume I'd always apologize no matter what.
Not this time.
I nodded. "Okay. I'm going to bed."
I went back to the bedroom.
Behind me, he threw the cake in the trash.
"Harper, you're gonna regret this."
I didn't answer.
Next morning I went to buy groceries.
Found my card declined.
I checked our joint account: 3 AM, Jaxon had taken out every dollar.
Something twisted in my chest.
After we got married, Jaxon wanted me to stay home.
I wasn't sure at first.
So he put all his savings in our joint account.
He said, "From now on, my money is your money. Buy whatever you want."
I was so touched. I put all my savings in too.
Now I saw how dumb I'd been.
I put the groceries back. "Sorry, I don't need these."
When I got home with nothing, Jaxon laughed.
"Weren't you acting all tough? Can't even buy food without me?"
Looking at his smug face just made me sad.
Good thing when we got married, my mom gave me jewelry and $5,000 cash.
I'd hidden it in the jewelry box she gave me.
Enough to leave.
But when I opened the box, it was empty.
Jaxon leaned against the door, watching me.
"Stop looking. I took it already."
I stared at him. "What about my jewelry?"
He shrugged. "Gave it to Dahlia."
"She came for your birthday and you treated her like crap. You owed her."
