My Husband Abandoned Me On My Birthday To Spend The Entire Day With His Ex-wife.

She asked if Nathan was my boyfriend. Her voice came out quiet but sharp like she already knew the answer and was testing if I’d be honest.

I told her we’d been seeing each other for 3 months. Nenah’s eyebrows went up and she asked, “Three months?” like she was doing math in her head.

I said, “Yes, the same three months Jerome spent running to Natalie every time she called with some fake emergency.”

Nenah’s face changed and she looked down at the floor. She said she’d watched Linda seat Natalie next to Jerome at every family dinner for years.

She said she’d heard Linda compare me to Natalie constantly and always make me sound like the worst choice. Nenah’s voice got softer and she said she understood why I’d look for someone who appreciated me.

She said it didn’t make what I did at the funeral right but she understood it. The kitchen door opened and Jerome walked in; his face was red and his jaw was tight.

He looked at Nenah and told her to leave. Nenah hesitated then squeezed my arm and walked out.

Jerome closed the door hard enough that it rattled the dishes in the cabinet. He asked who Nathan was.

His voice came out low and angry like he was trying not to yell with all the guests in the next room. I leaned against the counter and told him Nathan was someone who remembered my coffee order.

Jerome’s face twisted up confused and I said Nathan also knew my middle name and my favorite flowers. Jerome said that wasn’t what he asked.

He demanded to know how long this had been going on and if I was cheating on him. I told him I’d been seeing Nathan since my birthday.

Jerome’s mouth opened and he started to say something about Natalie needing help that day. I cut him off and reminded him that Natalie’s father never went to the hospital.

I said her big emergency was heartburn from eating too much pizza just like I’d told him it would be. Jerome’s face went from red to almost purple.

He said Natalie was in crisis and needed support. I laughed and it came out harsh.

I told him Natalie had been in crisis every Christmas and every Valentine’s Day and every anniversary for 5 years. Jerome started to argue but his voice got quieter like he was realizing something.

I pushed past him and walked back into the living room. Nathan was talking to some of Jerome’s relatives near the fireplace.

He had his suit jacket unbuttoned and looked completely comfortable like he belonged there. An older woman I recognized as Linda’s friend from church was asking Nathan what he did for work.

Nathan explained he worked in finance and the woman made impressed noises. She said we made such a handsome couple and looked at me with approval Linda never showed.

Jerome came out of the kitchen and stopped when he heard her. Another relative asked Nathan how long we’d known each other.

Nathan smiled and said we dated years ago before I met Jerome. He said we’d reconnected recently and picked up right where we left off.

I felt Jerome’s eyes on me from across the room. Nathan put his arm around my waist and I leaned into him slightly.

The gesture felt both real and like performance. I wanted Jerome to see what he’d been missing while he played hero to his ex-wife.

Natalie appeared suddenly and asked Jerome if he was okay in this loud concerned voice that carried across the room. She said he looked upset and offered to take him home if he needed to leave.

Her hand went to his arm and she tilted her head with this expression of worry that looked practiced. Jerome pulled his arm away.

He told her he needed to talk to his wife. Natalie’s face showed actual surprise like she couldn’t believe Jerome was brushing her off.

She said she just wanted to help and Jerome said she’d helped enough. His voice had an edge I’d never heard him use with her before.

Natalie’s eyes got wide and she looked between Jerome and me like she was trying to understand what changed. I realized Jerome was finally seeing through her act because he was too scared about losing me to fall for her usual manipulation.

Natalie stood there for a second with her mouth slightly open then turned and walked toward the kitchen. Several people had stopped talking to watch the exchange.

The reception started winding down around 4:00. People collected their empty casserole dishes and gave Jerome final condolences.

Nathan and I stood near the door and I could feel Jerome watching us from the porch. Stephano stood next to his brother looking confused about everything that happened.

Nathan opened the passenger door of his car for me and I slid into the leather seat that still smelled new. He walked around to the driver’s side and before getting in he leaned down and kissed my cheek.

The gesture was soft and genuine but also deliberate because he knew Jerome was watching. I didn’t look back at the house as Nathan started the car.

I could feel Jerome’s eyes following us down the street past the other parked cars and the neighbors’ houses. My hands were shaking slightly and I gripped them together in my lap.

Nathan drove me home and kissed me goodbye in the driveway.

The Suitcase and the Calendar of Broken Promises

I went inside the house I shared with Jerome and started pulling clothes from the closet. I found my suitcases in the garage and began filling them with anything I’d need for a few weeks: shoes and toiletries and the jewelry my grandmother left me.

I was folding a sweater when I heard Jerome’s car in the driveway. The front door opened and his footsteps came down the hall.

He appeared in the bedroom doorway and his eyes were red from crying. He asked what I was doing; his voice cracked on the last word.

I told him I was packing. Jerome came into the room and said we needed to talk about this.

He said he knew he messed up with my birthday but we could fix it. I kept folding clothes and putting them in the suitcase.

Jerome said my name three times getting louder each time. I finally looked at him and said this wasn’t about one birthday.

I told him it was about 5 years of coming second to Natalie. It was 5 years of his mother treating me like I wasn’t good enough.

It was 5 years of him calling me selfish whenever I asked for basic consideration. Jerome’s face crumpled and he said that wasn’t fair.

His voice got louder and he said I was the one cheating. He said I was throwing away our marriage over one mistake.

He insisted Natalie was just a friend who needed help and I was making it into something it wasn’t. I pulled out my phone and opened the calendar app.

I’d been keeping track for 2 years of every time Jerome canceled our plans for Natalie. I showed him the screen with all the red highlighted dates.

Christmas morning 2022 when he left before we opened presents because Natalie’s pipes burst. Valentine’s Day 2023 when he missed our dinner reservation because Natalie’s car wouldn’t start.

Our anniversary last year when he spent the afternoon helping Natalie move furniture. My birthday this year.

At least 15 other dates marked in red. Jerome stared at the phone and his face went pale.