We weren’t rich, but we were building something.
Then Elena started coming home late.
She bought new clothes, changed her perfume, and began treating every conversation about money as an insult.
I noticed the changes, but I kept explaining them away.
She was tired. Her job was stressful. Maybe she needed a break.
I was so determined to save my marriage that I convinced myself not to see what was happening inside it.
The truth finally arrived on a rainy Thursday evening.
I came home early after a job was canceled and found Elena packing two large suitcases in our bedroom.
At first, I thought she was preparing for a business trip.
Then I saw that she had packed her jewelry, her favorite photographs, and nearly every dress she owned.
“Elena?”
She didn’t turn around.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m leaving.”
The words were so simple that I couldn’t understand them.
