Three Breakdowns A Year Was All I Was Allowed Chapter 02

Nathan watched me for a few seconds.

“You’re only saying you don’t need me because you’re mad at me.”

“Once this passes, you’ll come to me again.”

His voice was calm, as if he’d already decided what I’d do next.

I didn’t explain.

Back in my room, I pulled up a conversation from two months earlier.

After I’d been laid off, a former coworker had told me about an overseas assignment that paid twice as much.

At the time, Nathan had only said:

“You’ve just had a miscarriage and lost your job. You can barely take care of yourself, and you want to move overseas?”

So I’d turned it down.

My reply was still there: [I’m not considering an overseas assignment right now.]

I sent a new message: [Is the position still open?]

The reply came back. [We still need a project lead. Can you interview now?]

My palms were sweating. I opened the chat with Three Ninety-Nine.

[I’m about to interview. I’m a little scared.]

He replied quickly. [Believe in yourself. If they pass on you, it’s their loss.]

I took a deep breath and answered the video call.

My voice was still shaky at first.

As we talked about the project, though, I gradually found my footing.

I’d just hung up when Nathan came in.

“That same overseas job?”

I nodded.

“Working abroad isn’t a vacation. You won’t last long if you actually go.”

In the past, a comment like that would’ve made me doubt myself immediately.

This time, I was about to push back when the doorbell rang.

Sophie came in carrying a cake.

She saw the appointment confirmation on the table and smiled.

“Oh, that older guy who came in that day was your brother?”

My head snapped up.

“You saw him?”

“Yes. We talked for a while, too.”

“He begged me to go in and ask Nathan if he could see him.”

“I told him Nathan was with me.”

“I told him you should be happy with what you have. You’re already married to Nathan. You can’t expect to have everything.”

She smiled a little.

“He asked whether Nathan was good to me, too.”

“I said of course he was. Nathan never makes me wait when I’m upset.”

“That day, I was the one who came first.”

“And then?” My voice trembled.

“He left. What else?”

She paused.

“If I’d known I’d never see your brother again, I wouldn’t have been so harsh.”

No wonder he’d kept asking me over the past few months, “Claire, is Nathan treating you well?”

I’d always said, “Of course.”

He’d studied me for a long time before saying, “As long as he’s good to you.”

After I was laid off, he’d asked whether I had any money.

I hadn’t wanted him to worry, so I’d said I did.

Only later did Mom tell me that, from that day on, he’d taken on three more part-time jobs.

Sorting packages at night, making deliveries before dawn, and helping people move on weekends.

Mom had told him he was going to work himself to death.

But he’d laughed. “Claire’s out of work. I want to save a little more.”

“If she has money of her own, she’ll know she can leave if she’s treated badly.”

But before he’d saved enough to give me a way out, he collapsed while making deliveries before dawn.

I bit the soft flesh inside my mouth until I tasted blood.

“My brother waited for you for over three hours. Why wouldn’t you see him?”

Nathan frowned.

“He didn’t have an appointment.”

“Sophie was in a bad place that day, too.”

I stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly laughed.

But as I laughed, tears started falling.

“An appointment?”

I scrubbed at my face.

“Nathan, he was my own brother.”

“All he wanted was to beg you…”

My voice caught.

“To treat me a little better.”

I was still laughing, but I couldn’t wipe the tears away fast enough.

“Even my brother had to wait in line just to beg you to treat me better.”

Sophie’s eyes reddened.

“Claire, you make it sound like I kept him out on purpose.”

Nathan stepped in front of her.

“Enough.”

“Your brother worried so much because you always get hung up on things.”

Just then, my phone lit up.

[You’ve passed the interview.]

[Please report for work in ten days.]

Nathan glanced at it.

“Passing an interview doesn’t mean you can actually do the job.”

“When you can’t handle it, you’ll have to come back anyway.”

He’d been like this for years.

First he told me I couldn’t do something. Then he told me it was for my own good.

After hearing it for so long, I’d almost forgotten I used to be capable of handling things on my own.

I looked down and replied: [I accept the position.]

Nathan’s expression darkened.

“Claire Bennett, are you really going to gamble with your life just to spite me?”

“I’m not trying to spite you.”

I looked up at him.

“What if, this time, I don’t listen to you?”

“Can I really do it?”