My eyes burned with tears I refused to let fall. I followed him to the bedroom. He was changing into casual clothes, his back to me.
«Brandon, we need to talk.»
«Not now, Grace, I’m exhausted.»
«We never talk anymore. You’re always at the hospital or out with colleagues or…»
«Or what?» He spun around, his voice sharp. «Say it. You think I’m doing something wrong?»
«I think you’re forgetting about us. About our marriage. About everything we’ve been through together.»
He laughed, but it wasn’t a kind sound. «Everything we’ve been through? Grace, I’m the one who went through medical school. I’m the one who’s studied for years, who works sixteen-hour shifts, who’s actually building a career. What have you done? You punched a clock. You served coffee. That’s not sacrifice. That’s just having a job.»
The words hit me like physical blows. «I worked three jobs so you could study. I gave up my education. I gave up everything.»
«No one asked you to,» his voice was loud now, angry. «That was your choice, Grace. Your decision. I never forced you to drop out of school. You made yourself into a martyr and now you want me to be grateful forever? That’s not how life works.»