She rose and gathered her papers.
“Meeting adjourned.”
Beside me, Nina stared at the screen.
“Well. Happy anniversary.”
I watched Elias remain beside the projector, his mouth hanging open, as the executives left.
I didn’t laugh.
For five years, he’d treated my exhaustion as a personal failing. He enjoyed eight hours of sleep, regular gym visits, and carefree weekends because I handled everything he didn’t want to do.
Now he was facing the consequences of his own carelessness.
My phone vibrated.
Elias was calling.
I answered.
“Hello, sweetheart.”
“Something terrible happened at work,” he said, his voice shaking. “Someone messed with my presentation. Margaret humiliated me in front of everyone. I lost the promotion!”
“Oh, that’s awful.”
He paused.
“Wait. Do you know anything about this?”
I smiled.
“Didn’t you find your flash drive?”
“Yes, but—”
“Elias,” I continued, “you said I’d aged so much in five years that you wouldn’t even ask me out today.”
