He was systematically erasing her from their life but there was a twisted courtesy to it he was giving her the option to salvage a box of scraps she typed a furious reply only to see the email bounce back with an error the address had already been deactivated damn him at 7:45 a.m. that Saturday. Marcy stood in a deserted alley of grimy storage units the sky overhead a dull gray she'd spent another night at the hotel her gift card quickly depleting she'd barely eaten hoarding. What little was left for lodging exhaustion weighed her down the rolling metal door of the indicated unit was padlocked. She glanced at her phone 758 a.m. would Rick keep his word right on time a local manager wandered by fiddling with Keith you. Marcy Weston he asked in a bored tone she nodded he unlocked the padlock rolled it up said I should open it at 8 I'll lock it back up at noon if you're gone.
She stepped inside her eyes adjusted to the dim light she saw four or five boxes lined up each labeled in Rick's familiar handwriting junk MK keepsakes letters and ironically Marcy's indulgences. She cracked open the flaps rifling through them she sank to her knees rumaging emotions SW swirling she felt weirdly exposed as if Rick were still orchestrating her humiliation. She Came Upon an old photo of them both smiling widely on a ski trip two decades earlier in that snapshot he held her hand eyes bright with love a Pang of nostalgia stabbed her followed immediately by the bitter taste of how everything had ended. She tossed the picture aside angrily time crawled she didn't know what she was looking for maybe some sign that Rick still cared but every item was simply a relic of a marriage that had once been real he curated these boxes to show. Her exactly what she'd tossed away by 9:30 she'd sorted the items she truly wanted mostly personal momentos not worth money but brimming with sentimental weight she considered leaving all the old love letters behind but some perverse part of her stuffed them into a bag.
She didn't want him to be the only one with the full story she lugged the boxes to the sidewalk hoping to flag a taxi. She was determined to keep what was left of her identity. Then came a voice behind an older woman stepping from a car face etched with polite concern Marcy I'm Emily Wellman my husband and I bought your house from Rick Marcy's breath caught. She remembered Rick's letter the young couple was named rod and Emily Wellman this woman looked older than Marcy had expected but maybe the stress of a growing family weighed on her she gave a cautious nod yes I'm Marcy I'm sorry to surprise. You Rick told us about this storage unit said we might want to pick up a few leftover things included in the sale.
He said we could coordinate with you I Emily paused looking uncomfortable I just wanted to say we don't want any trouble we never expected your home to be sold under these circumstances Marcy's face contorted in Anger my home yes well it's done congratulations on benefiting from my husband's little Revenge spree Emily's eyes filled with sympathy. I shouldn't pry but I can see you're going through a lot if it's any consolation the sale was legal. I know that's not comforting but Rick told us you wanted a fresh start I guess that wasn't entirely true. Marcy almost laughed bitterly HEK an expert at lies now apparently I hope you enjoy the hardwood floors and the brand new deck I paid for Emily shifted awkwardly if you'd like we could let you visit sometime if you have any memories. In that house you'd like to stop Marcy snapped tears burning her eyes I don't need pity take the house decorate it.
However you like I don't care anymore and Em's face fell she nodded stepping away all right I'm sorry this happened truly. She retreated to her car leaving Marcy standing on the curb with her boxes shoulders heaving in silent Fury back in her hotel room the boxes piled in the corner. Marcy collapsed onto a chair and flipped through the old letters from Rick one particular note caught her eye an unsigned draft. She had written after they'd had a terrible argument years ago an argument about trust and loyalty when she suspected him of some fling in the Middle East in it she'd poured out her frustrations her distrust her simmering resentment she'd never had the nerve to give it to him. Now ironically everything she had warned about in that letter had boomeranged back on her Rick if you ever break my trust I'll make.
You regret it I'm not a woman who takes betrayal lightly I will destroy the illusions that bind us she let the paper fall from her hand the arrogance in that draft stung her even. Now she had never considered that she would be the betray and she'd never believed that mild obliging Rick would be the one to deliver total devastation the day arrived. She couldn't renew her stay at the Ambassador the front desk informed her that her gift card was nearly empty. She had no cash for an Extended Stay she realized she'd have to move to a cheaper motel or find a friend to stay with but she had no real friends left Pride wed with desperation but desperation won. She ended up at a dingy Motel on the outskirts of the city the sort of place that rented by the week stale air peeling wallpaper flickering fluorescent lights.
She stared at her reflection in the cracked mirror and hardly recognized herself Dark Shadows rimmed her eyes her once pristine hair had lost its Salon Sheen and her clothes were the same business slacks from days ago. She sank onto a sagging mattress a roach scuttled across the nightstand and she shut her eyes in disgust. How had it come to this? Her phone rang she snatched it up heart pounding was it rick but no a withheld number. She hesitated then then answered hello a smug voice came through Dr Trey you win Marcy they fired me effectively blacklisted me in half the region hospitals my wife left me too so thanks for that she laughed bitterly I win look at me sitting in a roach motel.
Rick took everything and lit my life on fire well that's what you get for hooking up with a jerk like me. I guess Trey said spitting the words you're no saint yourself. Next time pick a fling that won't lead your spouse to waging nuclear war on everyone's careers she want wanted to scream at him but found only emptiness after a few seconds of Silence Trey hung up she tossed the phone aside the last faint glimmer of excitement. She once felt with Trey was now replaced by utter Loathing in a moment of pettiness Marcy decided to do one last Reckless thing. She still had the phone number of an old buddy of Rick's from the military a man named.