“I deserve…”

"It doesn’t have to be this way…" he tried to block her path to the door. "You know I love you. You know I wouldn’t lie about that." He shuffled backwards a few more steps, giving way before her grimly silent look.

She gripped the pillowcase full of clothes more tightly, and pulled the puppy’s leash with the other hand. "Aww, c’mon, Julie. I promise I’ll be better. I didn’t mean to. It was just a mistake."  His voice trailed off as she began to move closer to the door. "This isn’t funny, Julie. You’re making a bad mistake. If you leave, you’re never gonna be allowed back. This is all your fault anyway. If you weren’t such a control freak about money, and just trusted me, this would never have happened."

She glared at him then, breath coming faster, and clamped her lips shut so tightly that they were almost white with fury.

"B**! It’s your fault that I did that. It wasn’t MY choice. You made me do it. You and your stubborn, high and mighty ways. You pushed me into it. If you had just treated me like a man, I’d have behaved like one. You never really trusted me. You always thought you were better than me. Fine. You can go sleep on the street for all I care."

He lunged at the door and twisted the knob viciously. "You don’t deserve to be loved. You don’t deserve a decent man. I’m GLAD I gambled your paycheck away. You don’t deserve any of it!"

Five minutes later,. she found herself at the bus stop, shaking with tears and despair, the puppy nuzzling her leg.

And in her mind, she whispered, "I deserve better."

by
Canary