We parted ways a month ago. Have you forgotten?”
“Tom, remember today’s your last day living in my house?” Emma asked him.
“What do you mean? Already?”
“Yes, and why are you surprised? We agreed you’d sort out your living situation by June 26th, and until then, you could stay here.”
“Time flies by so quickly…”
The thing was, Tom and Emma divorced a month ago. However, her ex-husband had nowhere to live. He couldn’t find suitable accommodation—or perhaps he wasn’t trying? That’s an entirely different question.
“Stop trying to distract me. You’re moving out tomorrow!”
“But where to?”
“I don’t know. Not my concern anymore.”
Tom jumped up from the chair.
“How can you say that, Emma? We’re family.”
“Us? There’s no ‘us’ anymore. We separated a month ago. Have you forgotten?”
“I told you, time flies.”
“Once again… stop trying to distract me.”
In truth, Tom really had nowhere to go. He’d lost touch with friends over time. Some turned out to be not so pleasant.
His relatives lived in the countryside, and staying with acquaintances wasn’t an option. What now? His only hope was to convince Emma.
And while he could sleep at a train station if he had to, there was another reason he didn’t want to leave the flat.
“You know, I still hoped until the last moment.”
“Hoped for what?”
“That we’d get back together.”
Emma burst into laughter, which clearly offended Tom.
“Did I say something funny?”
“Isn’t it funny to you?”
“Not to me.”
“Well, it is to me. Listen, enough of this childishness. We’re adults.”
“Exactly! That’s why I want to discuss this like adults. Emma, we split over petty reasons.”
His ex-wife raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“You think constantly deceiving someone is petty?”
“No, I didn’t mean that.”
“I got the message!”
“No, no! We overreacted, these things happen. Emma, we could start over. Please!”
Emma was astonished by this. She couldn’t understand if her ex-husband was losing his mind or genuinely had nowhere else to go.
“I told you, stop messing with me. Pack your things. You’re leaving tomorrow.”
But Tom wouldn’t give up. He kept bringing up arguments, one more nonsensical than the last.
“Don’t you get it? I’ve stayed faithful to you!”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Since our divorce, I haven’t been with anyone.”
Emma face-palmed, thinking Tom really was losing his sanity.
“What do I care? Frankly, I’m not interested in who you sleep with!”
“But it bothers me. I can’t be with anyone else but you. And not even with you now… because…”
Emma interrupted him.
“That’s enough. Don’t go on.”
She got ready and went for a walk, to avoid seeing Tom.
The truth was, she’d been planning to leave him for a while. But she kept postponing because she felt sorry. They had spent five years together, and it was hard to make that decision.
However, her husband’s constant lies were unbearable. He lied about work, always claiming his boss had promoted him to a prestigious position, when he was still a regular employee earning 20,000 pounds a year. That was the last straw.
Why lie? It was baffling!
Emma pondered the situation all evening. She didn’t want to go home, so she stayed over at a friend’s. Of course, Tom kept calling her all night, but she had no intention of answering, nor explaining herself.
“I don’t understand, Emma. Why are you acting like Mother Teresa?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean Tom. You’re at fault here. Now he doesn’t want to leave.”
“Yes, I know, I made a mistake. But I can’t just throw him out…”
“You’re still kicking him out tomorrow, right?”
“I am. I keep my word.”
“Do you regret it?”
“No, nothing to regret. I’m not kicking out a child but a grown man who can sort out his own life.”
The next day, Emma returned home but didn’t see Tom’s suitcase by her door.
“You’re still here?”
“Emma! Where were you?” exclaimed Tom.
“That’s none of your business now.”
“You stayed over at a man’s place?”
“I repeat: none of your business! Pack your things and leave!”
Tom began pacing around his ex-wife.
“Emma, please, I really can’t. I was worried about you!”
“Enough! I said leave.”
But Tom seemed immune to her words. Or pretended not to hear.
“I’ve been faithful to you, can’t you see?”
Emma realized this conversation was pointless.
“You’ve got five minutes. Otherwise, I’m calling the police.”
Tom didn’t believe it, so Emma had to do what she’d promised. Her ex-husband was quickly ushered out with his things. He had no claim to the flat and wasn’t registered there.
Fortunately, Emma inherited the place. It was daunting to imagine if the flat had belonged to both of them.
In that case, Tom probably wouldn’t have ever left. After all, he always had a steadfast argument: he was a loyal ex-husband.
