“You know how she is,” he said with a shrug that conveyed more indifference than apology. “Don’t make a bigger deal out of it than it needs to be.”
Meanwhile, I was running a digital marketing agency in New York City that worked with hotel groups, medical clinics, and retail chains that demanded precision, negotiation, and relentless effort that left me exhausted more often than I’d like to admit.
I worked late, dealt with impossible clients, closed deals that kept everything afloat, and returned home to a household where I was treated less like a partner and more like a silent source of money that was expected to function without complaint.
When Anthony called again that morning, I answered not because I felt obligated, but because I wanted to hear how far he would go to defend something that had never belonged to him.
“You embarrassed her,” he continued, raising his voice as if volume could replace logic. “She was standing in the middle of the store, people were staring at her, and now she feels humiliated.”
