Ch. Chapter 5 Time will turn your hair white together Chapter 5

5. 5. 

I ignored the buzzing in my hand and just shut 

the phone off. 

Right then and there, my five–year marriage 

to Frank was officially over. 

Back at the hotel, Frank went ballistic when 

he saw my message, texting me like crazy. 

[Divorce? Stop messing around, there’s no 

way those “Doghouse Cards” are all used up 

that fast!] 

[Didn’t you like the gift I sent? I can pick out 

something new!] 

[Ashley, answer the phone, we need to talk.] 

[Why’d you turn it off? Are you really mad?] 

The dude just couldn’t believe I was blowing 

him off, calling me over and over. 

After getting the cold “leave a message” tone 

for the thirty–ninth time, he started to panic. 

No way… no freakin‘ way… everything was 

fine before I left…” 

His mind raced back to when I mentioned the 

“Doghouse Cards.” I was so damn calm. 

Calm like I’d given up hope. 

That thought made him grab his clothes and 

throw them on. 

Г 

Jessica wrapped her arms around his neck, 

snuggling up to him. 

“Frank, you promised you’d spend the whole 

night with me…” 

He pushed her away impatiently, without 

explaining, and ran out the door. 

He was dialing my number the whole way, over and over, but I never picked up. 

The second he walked in the door, he 

stepped on broken glass. 

It crunched under his feet, and Frank finally 

noticed the mess. 

Our wedding photo. 

L 

The shards had slashed across our faces in 

the picture, like our broken marriage. 

He slowly crouched down, picking up the 

photo. 

He carefully wiped the glass off. 

Looking at the two young people in the 

picture gazing at each other, smiling so 

sweetly, Frank’s eyes started to sting. 

After putting the photo back, Frank started 

searching the house for me. 

When he saw the empty closet, he finally 

realized I was gone. 

He slumped down in the living room, staring 

Г 

The proposal video playing on repeat was the 

only thing left in the house that reminded him 

of me. 

He dropped his head, running his fingers 

through his hair, racking his brain for where I 

might’ve gone. 

Then his eyes landed on the trash can. 

That pile of pink paper looked way too 

familiar. 

So familiar it took his breath away. 

He crouched down again, not caring about 

the cream smearing on his sleeves. 

He picked up the pieces, one by one. 

く 

He painstakingly pieced them together. 

Exactly ninety–nine “Doghouse Cards.” 

He remembered five years ago, when he’d 

looked at those cards and promised me with 

all sincerity. 

“Ashley, don’t worry, I’ll never give you a 

reason to use these.” 

He remembered all the times he casually told 

me to use a card. 

All the emotion he’d built up had been 

carelessly thrown away in the last two years 

since Jessica showed up, until it was all gone. 

A guy who was usually so good with numbers 

suddenly had no c cent of “aq” anymore 

く 

Every time, he’d smooth things over with a 

“Doghouse Card,” then try to make up for it 

with a gift. 

He never thought there was anything wrong 

with it. 

Every time he bailed, he bought me a gift to 

apologize, so what was there to complain 

about? 

His eyes drifted to the display case in the 

living room. 

He froze again. 

The wall of shelves was crammed with gifts 

he’d given me. 

く 

But if you looked closely, there were three 

identical sets of jewelry right in the middle. 

The receipt for one of them was dated 

yesterday. 

He suddenly remembered the Chloe wrap he’d 

sent Jessica yesterday. 

He had someone fly it in from Italy right after 

he saw Jessica shivering. 

It was way more valuable and thoughtful than 

all the jewelry. 

He was struck by a realization. 

When had his once unique love for me turned 

into cheap, repetitive gestures? 

L 

That night, he sat in the living room, drinking 

all the booze from the liquor cabinet, but he 

still couldn’t find the answer.