Chapter 7 - Marcus Started Preparing the House for Someone Else Before Chloe Knew the Marriage Was Over
Natalie believed Marcus planned to move into:
an apartment.
Marcus hated the idea.
Why leave a four-bedroom suburban house with:
low fixed mortgage,
renovated kitchen,
home office?
Especially when he considered himself to have contributed:
equally.
So he developed a different story.
Chloe could:
leave.
He told Natalie:
“Chloe wants to move closer to her mother.”
False.
Then he began packing some of Chloe’s belongings.
Not all at once.
Winter clothes into:
storage bins.
Books from a guest bedroom.
Framed photographs.
He said:
“Decluttering.”
Chloe noticed.
Objected.
They argued.
Then she found:
Natalie’s sweater
in their laundry.
Marcus said:
“She left it after everyone came over.”
There had been no:
everyone.
Chloe checked:
their joint credit card.
Hotel.
Restaurant.
Two tickets to a concert she had not attended.
She confronted him.
He admitted:
“something happened.”
Not:
an affair.
One mistake.
Then eventually:
months.
Chloe called me that night.
I missed it.
I called back the next morning.
She said:
“Never mind.”
I asked:
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
Not:
fine.
Okay.
I accepted it.
May you like
Again.
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