I told him I was not asking him to attack his wife. He simply needed to know what was happening inside his home. I also explained my plan for the next morning.
After a long pause, he said he would change his flight and return by nine.
Then I made three more calls.
My retired accountant, Dorothy, prepared paperwork. My neighbor Robert agreed to bring his truck. Geraldâs brother, a contractor, promised to arrive at seven.
Before sleeping, I created an invoice of my own.
Seven days of childcare for two children: fourteen hundred dollars.
A full-house deep cleaning: eight hundred.
Fourteen meals and fourteen packed lunches: seven hundred.
Groceries, with receipts: three hundred twelve.
Total owed to me: three thousand two hundred twelve dollars.
Dorothy formatted it exactly like Melissaâs invoice, even using the same font.
The next morning, Robert helped load my belongings. I left the quilts in the childrenâs rooms and one jar of jam for Thomas because those gifts belonged to them.
Meanwhile, Gerald began building the backyard deck Jason had planned for two years. The materials had been sitting beneath a tarp for eight months. Jason approved the work, and Gerald offered to complete it at the family rate.
Melissa came downstairs at nine-fifteen and saw workers setting the first posts.
âWhat have you done?â she demanded.
âJason approved it,â I said. âHe will be home soon.â
I placed my invoice beside her coffee.
