Chapter 3The Day I Gave Up on Us

A moment later, the front door slammed shut. Brandon had probably gone out again.

Just like that, he was giving me the silent treatment again.

In the past, whenever we stopped speaking, I would get so anxious that I couldn't sit still. I would constantly look for some excuse to reach out and smooth things over.

Sometimes, I would even send him a message on purpose, then delete it right away and pretend it was an accident.

But Brandon almost never responded. He never even seemed curious about what I deleted.

If I called, he wouldn't pick up either.

Whenever that happened, I could barely concentrate at work. All I could think about was getting home as soon as possible and figuring out how to make things right.

This time, I actually felt relieved.

Especially since I was sick and desperately needed a full night's sleep. Brandon usually came home late, and no matter how quiet he tried to be, he always ended up waking me.

Now that he was sleeping in the guest room every night, I could finally sleep through until morning.

I stopped cooking and waiting for him, too. It wasn't like he would've eaten anything I made, anyway.

The project I was leading had reached a critical stage. I started grabbing breakfast on my way to work, eating dinner at the office, and staying a little later before heading home.

It saved me a surprising amount of time. I threw myself into work and felt more driven than I had in years.

Ever since we got married, I poured most of my energy into Brandon.

I would text him throughout the day, asking what he was doing, telling him I missed him, and reminding him how much I loved him. He rarely replied, but somehow, I never got tired of trying.

I almost never stayed late at work, either. The second the day was over, I would rush home to make dinner.

And yet, Brandon was hardly ever home. Between work and going out with friends, he only made it home for dinner a few times a month.

Now that my life no longer revolved around him, everything felt easier. I was more productive and more focused, and even the quality of my work improved.

When the project was finally finished, I let out a long breath of relief.

I opened the social media app I hadn't checked in ages and suddenly remembered that I had already taken Stella off my favorites list.

Still, I couldn't help wondering what she had been posting.

Sure enough, the entire time Brandon and I had been giving each other the silent treatment, he had been spending plenty of time with her.

They went camping by the beach, and she even tagged along to one of his get-togethers with friends.

He looked happy.

In the past, I would've blown up his phone the second I saw those photos, and it would've turned into another fight.

At first, he would try to explain himself. Then he would lose patience and tell me I was making something out of nothing.

It always ended the same way. Brandon would storm out and slam the door behind him.

But this time, I looked through the photos without feeling a thing.

I even had the patience to go through and like every single post.

The project had been such a success that the company offered me a promotion. The only catch was that the new position was in Hillside, and I had been going back and forth over whether to take it.

Now, I finally made up my mind.

When I stepped out of the office, I was surprised to see Brandon waiting there.

"I had some business nearby today," he said.

I opened the passenger door and found Stella sitting in the front seat.

She smiled sweetly at me. "Ellie, it's been a while. Brandon and I just had dinner, and he's giving me a ride home. You don't mind, right?"

I smiled back. "Not at all."

Then I opened the back door and climbed in.

It wasn't until Brandon got behind the wheel that he seemed to realize something felt off.

He glanced back at me and said, a little awkwardly, "Stella gets carsick. She does better in the front seat."

I nodded.

He looked at me again, then turned back around.

My reaction must have seemed strange to him. I didn't ride in his car often, but whenever I did, I always sat up front.

I once told him with a smile, "If I'm in the car, the passenger seat is mine."

He rolled his eyes. "It's just a seat. Why does it matter where you sit?"

But to me, it mattered. I just wanted to sit beside him.

Stella chatted with Brandon the whole way, mostly about things going on at work.

I couldn't follow most of it and had nothing to add, so I leaned back, closed my eyes, and pretended to sleep.

Then Stella turned around. "Ellie, why didn't you come to Jasper's birthday party the other day?"