When I returned home, the house was quiet, a stark contrast to the noise in my head. I placed the envelope on the kitchen table and sat down, staring at it as if it might offer some sort of explanation. My spouse was due home any minute, and I knew I had to gather my thoughts before they arrived.
The past few months had been a blur of work and routine, with little time for anything else. My spouse had taken over the finances with the promise of making things easier on both of us. I had agreed, grateful for the reprieve, but now I wondered if I had been too trusting.
The sound of the front door opening pulled me from my thoughts. My spouse stepped into the kitchen, offering a tired smile. « Hey, you’re home early, » they said, setting their bag down on the counter.
« Yeah, I had some things to take care of, » I replied, trying to keep my tone neutral. « I stopped by the bank today. »
There was a brief pause before they responded. « Oh? Everything okay? » They asked casually, but I couldn’t help but notice the slight tension in their voice.
« I need to talk to you about our finances, » I said, gesturing to the envelope on the table. « There are some charges I don’t understand, and I think we need to go over them together. »
My spouse looked at the envelope, their expression unreadable. « Sure, we can do that, » they said, sitting down across from me. « Let’s take a look. »
As we began to sift through the papers, a sense of unease settled over the room. The truth was there, hidden in the numbers, and as we delved deeper, I knew we were on the precipice of something that could change everything.
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