The Secret in My Husband’s Glove Compartment Destroyed Our Two Years Chapter 01
My husband never let me touch the glove compartment in his car. He said inside it were all contracts, and I’d mess them up.
Once, when I was looking for the vehicle registration, I reached for it. He scowled right in front of his friends.
“Camilla. Don’t cause me trouble.”
Then came the night his car broke down in a downpour. I went out to set up the warning triangle and got soaked. So I opened the glove compartment to look for tissues.
There were no contracts.
Just his first love’s pain relief patches, heating pads, ginger tea packets, and a phone.
The phone was logged into a burner account on iMessage, a secondary account that only contacted Leona. The most recent message was from today.
[Leona, today’s my wedding anniversary with Camilla. I’m having her make the dinner reservation. Once your prenatal checkup is done, head home on your own. I have to go be with her.]
Leona had moved back to this city eleven months ago. That was when William Holloway started contacting her again frequently.
He said it wasn’t easy for Leona to be pregnant and live alone. And since we were old friends, we ought to give her a hand.
Then I remembered that William had told me he didn’t want children. He explained he was too busy with work and he might not be able to take good care of me.
But he stocked supplies for Leona. He remembered she didn’t like menthol pain patches. He even mapped out exactly how she’d get home after her checkups.
So it wasn’t that he didn’t know how to care for someone.
He just didn’t want to spend that effort on me.
Fine. I wasn’t going to keep this marriage going either.
***
William called just as I walked through my front door.
“Where did you make the reservation?”
“I came home.”
“Why aren’t we doing our anniversary? You’re the one who cares about these special occasions.”
“Aren’t you with Leona?”
He paused for two seconds. This time, he didn’t ask why I’d opened the glove compartment and caused him trouble.
“She’s alone. A pregnant woman needs someone with her. I scheduled everything out. It won’t cut into our anniversary.”
“William, I called the tow truck for your car. I paid for it too. Don’t forget to pick it up.”
“How much? I’ll transfer you.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
“Then what?”
I peeled off my soaked jacket.
“There were no contracts in the glove compartment.”
“Camilla. I just keep those things for her.”
“If you’re just keeping them for her, why use a separate phone to contact her?”
“She messages late sometimes. I didn’t want you to see and overthink it.”
“So you made a burner account just for her.”
“I was trying to avoid drama.”
“How long have you been doing this?”
“Not long.”
“Eleven months, right?”
The line went quiet.
“You put Ginger tea and heating pads in that glove compartment last September.”
“And in October, you put two boxes of pain relief patches in it.”
“You switched to her preferred brand and noted no menthol in November.”
“William. You call that ‘not long’?”
His breathing got heavier.
“None of that means anything. I haven’t neglected you either, have I?”
“So it’s not that you don’t know how to take care of someone. You knew I’d mind, and you still did this for eleven months.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?”
“Leona helped me once. When my father was in the hospital, she handled all the paperwork. She lent me her savings too.”
His tone was steady, like he was explaining something I should have understood by now.
“She’s alone now, and pregnant. I help her a little more just to pay back a favor.”
“Paying back a favor means lying to me? Means making a burner account just to talk to her?”
“Today is our anniversary. You remembered which medication she needs. But you didn’t even bother to say happy anniversary to me.”
“I remembered.”
“Then why didn’t you prepare anything?”
“The gift is in the mail. It’s still on the way.”
“Send me the purchase date. I want to see it.”
William went silent again.
Then Leona’s voice came through from beside him.
“William, did Camilla misunderstand something?”
“It’s fine. Lie down first.”
His voice softened instantly.
Leona took the phone. “Camilla, I’m sorry,” she said quietly.
“I know today is your anniversary. But I was so scared during my checkup. I couldn’t find anyone else to be with me.”
“You’ve had him stock your supplies for eleven months?”
“I didn’t ask him to. William’s just thoughtful.”
“You have parents and friends. Why is it always him?”
“Because when I didn’t do well, only William was willing to help me.”
She sniffled.
“If you mind this, I won’t bother him anymore.”
William cut in.
“Leona.”
“Don’t talk like that.”
“Camilla. She’s already upset enough. Don’t push her.”
“What am I pushing?”
“You know she’s afraid of being a burden. And you’re still asking her like this.”
“Fine. I won’t ask.”
My calmness seemed to ease William’s tone.
“That’s better. Wait for me to get home. We’ll have a good anniversary.”
“Are you coming back tonight?”
“Let me wait until the doctor confirms the results.”
“Got it.”
I hung up. I downloaded a divorce agreement template and put a deposit down on a short-term rental apartment.
Half an hour later, William texted.
[Leona’s fine. I’ll make it up to you with an anniversary dinner tomorrow.]
Then another message came right after.
[She needs someone to look after her these next couple days. Be reasonable.]
I stared at the word “reasonable.” Remembered the third of last month, when my cramps had me doubled over.
William had been heading to a meeting that day. He poured me a glass of hot water and told me not to make everyone miserable over a little thing.
So it wasn’t that I didn’t need to be taken care of.
It was just that, in his mind, everything I went through meant less than a phrase “I’m scared” from Leona.