- 2.
After the party, I went to get in the passenger
seat.
As soon as I touched the door, I heard the
click of the locks engaging.
Frank rolled down the window looking at me
<
Frank rolled down the window, looking at me
coldly.
“Just grab a cab. The car’s just been washed,
and you stink of booze.”
He seemed to forget where the booze smell
came from. The disgust in his eyes was
brighter than a streetlight.
Normally, I’d be freaking out, drinking water
like crazy and desperately trying to convince
him that it was just a little wine, no big deal.
Or I’d be breaking down right there in the
street, red–eyed and demanding to know why
he made me apologize for Jessica.
But this time, I just smiled and nodded.
L
“Okay, drive safe.”
Frank’s hand loosened on the steering wheel,
looking at me in shock.
“Ashley, you…”
Before he could finish, Jessica pushed me
aside with a smile.
“Mr. Frank, I’m ready to go. Let’s hit the
road.”
She was wearing Frank’s jacket, the alcohol
stains on her dress reeking of cheap wine.
It must have happened when she knocked
over the champagne tower.
But Frank didn’t seem to mind
مل
<
But Frank didn’t seem to mind. He even
opened the door for her and carefully tucked
the jacket around her.
“It’s cold out, don’t catch a cold.”
Only then did he remember I existed, looking
at me guiltily.
“Don’t get the wrong idea. I just thought that
since Jessica is a girl and younger, I need to
take care of her.”
I nodded.
“I understand.”
Afraid he wouldn’t believe me, I added:
“You used a ‘Doghouse Card‘, right? I’m not
L
Frank flinched, and was about to say
something.
Jessica sneezed, drawing his attention again.
“Get home soon.”
After leaving those words, the two drove
away.
99
I watched the car disappear into the distance.
I went inside and pulled out my savings
account and the “Doghouse Card” jar from
the closet.
I used to be able to reach in a grab the card
easily, but now I had to rummage around for
a while before I finally got one.
<
I tore the 97th card into pieces, then turned
on my computer and started drafting the
divorce papers.
To be fair, I called my old professor.
“Hey, Professor Davis, I want to divorce
Frank. How should the assets be divided to
make it fair?”
My professor was caught off guard.
“Divorce? Why?”
“The whole school knows that Frank proposed
to you 99 times to chase you, and it is still a
good story at the school. Why do you want a
divorce?”
Г
Yeah, how did it get to this point?
It probably started with the perfume that got
heavier and heavier on him every day.
From his increasingly frequent absences from
home.
From the “Doghouse Cards” in the jar being
used up because of Jessica.
I knew we couldn’t go back.
Seeing my silence, my professor stopped
persuading me, instead asking,
“I’ll help you write the divorce papers, when
do you need them?”
く
I turned my head to look at the savings jar,
and said softly,
“When Frank uses up the last two chances.”
Just then, the door opened.
“What chance?”
Frank walked in with a paper bag in his hand,
looking confused.
