My Husband Took Me To A Luxury Steakhouse For Our 10th Anniversary. When The Waiter Came, He Ordered A $100 Meal For Himself But Told Me I Couldn’t Eat Because I Was Unemployed And Broke. Then A Couple At The Next Table Handed Me A Mysterious Business Card.

Securing the Position

Laura texted me “Good luck for tomorrow” and said she’d be at the library at 1:30 to pick me up. The first in-person interview was at a marketing firm 20 minutes from our house. Laura drove me there and waited in the parking lot in case it went short.

The office had glass walls and modern furniture, and everyone looked busy and important. The manager who interviewed me was younger than I expected, maybe early 30s, and she smiled when she shook my hand. She asked me the same questions Khloe and I had practiced, and I answered each one without stumbling.

She showed me the desk where I’d be working if I got the job and introduced me to two other people in the office. Everyone seemed normal and friendly; no one looked at me like I was broken or worthless. The manager said they were interviewing three candidates and would make a decision by Monday.

The second interview on Thursday was at Laura’s new company. She introduced me to her boss who ran the administrative department. This interview felt easier because Laura had already told them about my work history and skills.

Her boss asked me situational questions about handling difficult tasks and managing multiple priorities. I talked about systems I’d created at my old job to track projects and deadlines. She nodded along and made notes on her papers.

At the end, she said they needed someone who could start soon and asked about my availability. I said I could start whenever they needed me. She shook my hand and said I’d hear from them by the end of the week.

I walked out of Laura’s building feeling something strange in my chest. It took me a minute to recognize it as actual hope. Real hope, not the desperate kind I’d been clinging to. Two solid interviews and one more phone call scheduled for tomorrow. Three real chances at independence.

Paul came home from his business trip on Friday night. I was in the kitchen making dinner when he walked through the door with his suitcase. He didn’t say hello or ask how I’d been; he just dropped his bag by the stairs and went straight to his office.

I heard him on the phone talking about his trip and laughing with whoever was on the other end. When he finally came into the kitchen, he looked at the pasta I was making and asked if I’d used his money to buy the groceries. I said yes because we both knew I didn’t have any other option.

He nodded like he’d proven some point and sat down at the table. I put a plate in front of him and he started eating without thanking me. I sat across from him with my own plate and we ate in silence.

He didn’t ask about my week or mention the restaurant or apologize for anything. He just ate his food and scrolled through his phone like nothing had happened.

Laura’s boss called on Saturday morning while Paul was in the shower. She offered me the administrative position starting at 40,000 a year with benefits after 90 days. I said yes before she even finished explaining the details.

She wanted me to start Monday, which gave me two days to figure out how to hide this from Paul. I thanked her three times, and she laughed and said she was excited to have me on the team. When I hung up, I sat on the bed staring at my phone.

I had a job. A real job with real money that would go into my secret account. Khloe’s voice played in my head warning me not to tell Paul. He’d find a way to ruin it or force me to quit or call my new boss and sabotage everything. I had to keep this secret until I had enough money saved to leave safely.

The Double Life

Paul came out of the bathroom and asked why I looked weird. I said I was fine, and he shrugged and went back to his phone. The rest of the weekend passed in the usual silence. Paul watched television and worked on his laptop.

I cleaned the house and made meals and pretended everything was normal, but something had shifted inside me. I had a plan now. I had money coming in that he couldn’t control. Every day at this job would be one day closer to freedom.

Paul noticed the change in me almost immediately. I hadn’t realized I was acting different, but apparently I was. He started watching me more carefully, asking questions about where I’d been and what I’d done during his trip.

I stuck to the story about spending time at the library, and he seemed to accept it. But on Wednesday night I was in the shower when I heard our bedroom door open and close. I rushed through washing my hair, and when I got out Paul was sitting on the bed holding my phone.

My stomach dropped. He looked up at me and asked what I was hiding. I said nothing and reached for the phone, but he pulled it back. He’d gone through my messages and emails and call history.

I watched him scroll and scroll, looking for something to prove I was lying to him. But there was nothing there. I’d been using Natasha’s phone to text Laura and Khloe. All my job emails went to an account he didn’t know about. My phone was clean.

He finally tossed it on the bed and said I seemed different lately. Happier. He wanted to know why. I said I wasn’t different, and he laughed and said I was definitely hiding something. Then he left the room, and I sat on the bed shaking. That had been too close.

I needed to be more careful about acting normal around him. Monday morning I woke up early and got dressed in the bathroom so Paul wouldn’t see my work clothes. I put on the blazer and pants from the shelter donation closet and looked at myself in the mirror.

Professional. Capable. Employed. I put everything in my purse and walked downstairs in regular clothes. Paul was already up drinking coffee. He asked where I was going so early, and I said the library opened at 9:00 and I wanted to get there when it was quiet.

He nodded and went back to his phone. I drove to the library and changed in their bathroom, then drove to Laura’s company. My first day went smoothly. Her boss showed me my desk and the filing system and introduced me to everyone in the office.

I spent the morning learning their software and organizing old files. Laura brought me coffee at lunch and asked how it was going. I said great and meant it. By the end of the day, I’d set up my direct deposit into my secret bank account.

The money would hit in 2 weeks. Real money that Paul couldn’t touch or control or use against me. I changed back into regular clothes in the library bathroom before going home. Paul was already there making dinner, which was unusual.

He asked about my day at the library, and I said it was fine, quiet. I’d read some books and used their computers. He seemed satisfied with that answer. This became my routine: wake up early, change at the library, work all day, change back before going home. Paul never questioned it.