A Discovery That Revealed Everything
One evening he left his laptop open on the desk. She hadn’t been searching through his things. But the bright screen caught her attention as she walked past.
A spreadsheet was displayed.
Her name appeared in the first column.
The heading read: “Expenses she will cover.”
Line items followed. Rent estimate. Utilities. Food costs. Insurance payments.
The total was an amount impossible for someone who had been out of the workforce for ten years.
Beneath the calculations, a note appeared.
“If she can’t pay, she leaves.”
Leaves.
She stared at those words for a long time, letting their meaning sink in.
Then she noticed another tab at the bottom of the screen.
It was labeled “New proposal.”
She clicked it.
Another woman’s name appeared at the top of the document.
Same building where they lived. A different apartment unit.
Same future he was planning. Without her in it.
