“You Chose Work Over Me”
“II cant believe what Im hearing! This is unbelievable! Your blasted job, your urgent calls, your endless business trips!” Emma swept a coffee mug off the table, sending it crashing against the wall, splattering unfinished coffee everywhere. Shards scattered across the floor like confetti.
“Stop overreacting, youre acting like a child!” Mark didnt even raise his voice, which only infuriated her more. Inside, she was boiling, while he stood there like a statue. “I cant just cancel this trip, do you understand? This is about my promotion.”
“Promotion?!” She nearly choked on her anger. “Your promotion always, always comes before us! Remember when you missed Lilys graduation? Or when you didnt even call on my birthday, even though I reminded you a week before? And now this! Tobys surgery is in two days, and youre jetting off to… Manchester!”
“To London,” Mark automatically corrected, then immediately regretted it.
“Oh, fantastic! Might as well be the moon!” Emma flailed her arms like a windmill. “You wont be there when your son goes under anesthesia! When hes terrified out of his mind, when Im climbing the walls with fear! And all for some meaningless contract!”
Mark exhaled sharply and dragged a hand down his face. Dark circles under his eyes, uneven stubble, but that stubborn look he always wore.
“Do you even hear yourself? This is my shot at CFOtwenty years of work, my whole career! And Tobys surgery is routine, for heavens sake. Its just tonsils, not a brain tumor!”
“Oh, sure, and what if something goes wrong?” Emma dug her nails into her palms. “What then, huh?”
“Nothing will happen. I spoke to the surgeon myself.”
“And if it does?!” Her voice pitched higher.
“Will you sit down?” He jerked his shoulders impatiently. “If anything happens, Ill get on the first flight back! Like when Lily had her appendix out, remember?”
“Oh, I remember!” Her smile was venomous. “You showed up eight hours late, after the doctors had gone home. Real hero, arent you?”
Mark just shook his head.
“What do you want from me? I cant be in two places at once, Em. I work myself ragged so we can have this life. Or have you forgotten how you nagged me about moving? Lets get a bigger house, the neighbors are loud, the areas run down, the Tubes too far”
“Id rather live in that cramped flat with a husband who actually sees his children!” she shot back.
Mark slumped into a chairall ninety kilos of him collapsing at once.
“Listen, we agreed on this, didnt we? You handle the home, the kids, the routine. I bring in the money. Whats changed? When did this suddenly become a problem?”
Emma opened her mouth to retort, but the front door banged open, and the sound of childrens voices and backpacks hitting the floor cut her off.
“Fine. Well talk later,” she muttered, forcing a smile as she left the kitchenso fake it made her cheeks ache.
Mark opened his laptop. He had a presentation to finish, but his mind was foggy, thoughts jumbled.
That evening, after the kids were asleep, Emma sat at the kitchen table, scrolling mindlessly through her phone. She wasnt crying anymorejust numb. Twenty-two years of marriage, and somehow their relationship had become a balance sheet: income, expenses, assets, liabilities. When had it all gotten so complicated?
Mark walked in and sat across from her without a word.
“Coffee?” she asked, not looking up.
“Yeah.” He rubbed his temples. “Em, we need to talk.”
“About what?” She flicked the kettle on. “Its obvious. Youre flying out the day after tomorrow. Toby and I will handle the hospital alone.”
“Listen.” He stood and rested his hands on her shoulders. “I know this is hard for you. But this promotionits important.”
“More important than us?” She turned, and for the first time, he didnt see anger in her eyesjust exhaustion and disappointment.
“Everything I do is for you,” he said quietly.
“No, Mark.” She shook her head. “Its for you. For your ego, your career. The kids and I? Were an afterthought.”
“Thats not true.”
“Isnt it?” Her voice was steady. “When Toby talked about his surgery, do you know what he said? At least its during Dads trip, so he wont stress about missing work. Hes eleven, and hes already learned to schedule around you.”
Mark had no reply.
“And Lily asked yesterday if youd come to her university graduation next year. Not because she wants you therebut because shes afraid youll be too busy again.”
“Ill be there,” he muttered.
“Youll try.” She echoed him bitterly. “Always trying. Do you know when I realized youd chosen work over me? When I had the miscarriage. Ten years ago. You flew in two days after I was discharged.”
“I was in Hong Kong for negotiations”
“Exactly.” She nodded. “You were negotiating. And I was alone, grieving our child.”
She turned away, mechanically grinding coffee beans.
“You never told me how much it hurt,” he said softly.
“Would it have changed anything?” She shrugged. “Youd have apologized, promised it wouldnt happen again, and the next time? Youd still choose work.”
Mark pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Maybe you should talk to someone. A therapist.”
“Oh, of course.” She smirked. “The problem is me, right? Not the fact that my husband is more like a paycheck with legs?”
“Thats not what I meant.” He sighed. “Youre blowing this out of proportion.”
“Am I?” She spun around. “When was the last time you went to a parents evening? Do you even know who Tobys teacher is? Or what Lilys dissertation is about?”
Silence.
“Thats what I thought.” She set a coffee cup in front of him. “Youve missed our lives, Mark. And you keep missing them.”
He took a sip and wincedtoo strong, just like always when she was upset.
“Ill take time off this summer,” he offered. “Well go somewhere, just us.”
“Lilys backpacking through Cornwall with friends,” Emma reminded him. “And Tobys signed up for football camp.”
“You couldve told me before making plans!” Frustration edged into his voice.
“I did. Twice. You said, Sort it out, well see. So we did.”
He rubbed his eyes.
“Sorry. I dont remember.”
“You know whats the worst part?” Her gaze drifted past him. “Im starting to think Im better off without you. When youre home, I keep hoping youll finally be presentnot just physically. And every time, Im disappointed.”
“What do you want from me?” His voice cracked. “To turn down the promotion? Quit?”
“I want our children to have a father, not a bank account. I want a husband, not a flatmate who occasionally sleeps here.”
“I cant throw away my career at fifty,” he said firmly. “Its too late to start over.”
“Nobodys asking you to. Just find balance.”
“Im trying!” He raised his voice, then lowered it, remembering the kids. “I am, Em. But you have to understandwith my position, my salary”
“your responsibilities, yes, I know the script by heart.” She cut him off. “But the kids are growing up without you. And so am I.”
“Youre being unfair.” He shook his head. “I always spend weekends with the family.”
“When work doesnt interfere,” she clarified. “Which happens, what, once a month?”
Silence settled between them, broken only by the hum of the fridge and the ticking clock.
“I cant cancel this trip,” Mark finally said. “But Ill move my flight back a day. Ill take Toby to the hospital.”
“Youve already booked your tickets.”
“Ill change them.” His voice was resolute. “And Ill call every hour until the surgerys done.”
Emma gave a joyless laugh.
“You think this fixes anything?”
“No,” he admitted. “But its a start. I dont want to lose you, Em. I mean that.”
“You already nearly have,” she said softly. “And I dont know if its fixable.”
The hospital corridor buzzed with voices and footsteps. Emma sat on a hard plastic chair outside the operating theatre, fidgeting with her handbag strap. Toby had been in there for an hour, though the surgeon had promised forty minutes.
Beside her, Lily sc
