I Stepped Out of the Shadow of His Favor Chapter 04

I Stepped Out of the Shadow of His Favor Chapter 04

The next morning, I drove the SUV to the auto detailing shop just outside our neighborhood. I handed the keys to the employee and told him to thoroughly clean both the passenger seat and the backseat.

Ten minutes later, he walked out holding a clear plastic bag and asked if I wanted to keep the items inside. The bag held a beige neck pillow, hair clips, an air freshener card, and a small travel pill case. All of them belonged to Chloe.

I stared at the bag and tugged faintly at the corner of my mouth. This vehicle was registered under my name, yet it had been filled with so many of another woman’s belongings.

I told him to set the bag aside for me to pick up later.

From the shop, I headed straight to the bank. I told Lane I was tying up loose ends with my insurance, and he told me not to push myself too hard. Once, his concern would have softened my heart, but not anymore.

At the bank counter, I signed the paperwork to finalize the early loan payoff. A huge portion of my savings was deducted, but I felt no anxiety—only a huge sense of relief.

The teller handed me the lien release paperwork and explained that the vehicle could now be transferred to a new owner.

Bright sunlight stung my eyes as I walked out of the bank. My mind drifted back to the day we bought this ride six years ago. Lane had pulled me over to take photos, saying we were capturing the start of our new life together. Back then, I’d believed this car would carry us toward our future. I never imagined it would ultimately be the vehicle that carried me away from him.

When I got home, I opened my laptop and tallied up every expense related to the car in a spreadsheet: the down payment, monthly loan installments, insurance, maintenance, parking fees, and the partial loan payments Lane had sent me over the years. I calculated his total contribution, making sure we split every expense cleanly and fairly, and that we were completely even.

Once the spreadsheet was finished, I started packing my things: my ID, bank cards, contracts, laptop, and everyday clothes. Most of the things in this apartment had been bought together, but very few of them felt worth taking with me now.

Lane came home in the evening. He spotted my suitcase and looked confused. “Are you going on a work trip?”

I zipped the suitcase shut and faced him. “Stay home tonight. We need to talk.”

The smile faded from his face. He walked over and took my hand. “I know you’ve been upset lately, Ella. I haven’t been around for you much. I’m staying in tonight, let’s sort this out.”

I looked at him. This was his last chance. If he stayed and faced everything honestly, I could end this relationship with some dignity for both of us.

Thirty minutes later, Chloe’s name lit up his phone screen. Lane’s brows drew together automatically, and he glanced over at me.

“Answer it,” I said.

Chloe’s voice came through the speaker, thick with tears. She explained that her family had set up a blind date for her and she hoped Lane could come along to keep her company.

“I’ve got plans tonight, Chloe,” Lane told her.

I could see his resolve wavering as she kept talking on the other end of the line. I sat quietly on the sofa and watched him. A few minutes later, he ended the call.

“Ella…”

He only said my name, but a weight lifted off my chest all at once.

“I’ll swing by real quick and be right back,” he said. “We can talk later.”

For six years, I’d been putting up with one “later” after another. Later he would pick me up, later he would spend time with me, later he would explain himself, later we would talk about us. Every single time, “later” meant our plans got pushed back again and again.

“Go ahead,” I said.

Lane looked both relieved and guilty. He walked to the entryway to grab his car keys. “I promise I’ll be back soon.”

“I took the car to get detailed,” I told him. “It’s still at the shop.”

He didn’t question it. Deep down, he must have known the car was full of things that never should have been there. He called an Uber instead, then walked over to hug me goodbye. I didn’t hug him back. The apartment fell completely silent once the front door closed.

I opened my banking app and transferred the amount I’d calculated to his account. I added a note to the transaction: [Final payment for the car and shared costs. We’re even.]

After that, I went back to the professional car detailing shop. The SUV was spotless inside. The passenger seat was empty—no neck pillow, no air freshener, no blanket. The employee handed me the plastic bag of Chloe’s things, and I placed it in plain sight by the front door when I got home.

I grabbed the vehicle title, lien release form, and spare key, then drove to the DMV service center.

Lane’s calls started pouring in one after another along the way. He must have seen the transfer notification, but I ignored every single one.

The buyer had already sent the payment. I met him at a parking lot near the DMV, signed the title over to him, and handed him the keys. Then I walked inside to file the release of liability. My phone kept buzzing, Lane’s name still flashing on the screen. I glanced down, turned off the display, and slid the paperwork across the counter.