Her full name was Kelly Parsons, though in our house she first existed only as Kelly from the office. Kelly who was helping on a major account. Kelly who had joined the team from Atlanta. Kelly who was “a lot, honestly,” according to Mark, in a tone that encouraged me to laugh. Kelly whose name appeared more and more often in stories meant to sound irritated and casual. Kelly who started commenting on his social media posts with too many exclamation points. Kelly whose perfume I eventually recognized from the collar I pretended not to inspect.
If I had confronted him then, maybe something would have happened sooner. Maybe I would have spared myself the humiliation of the envelope. But maybe not. Men who want to leave often wait until the story can be arranged in their favor. By the time they announce their honesty, they have already done all the lying they needed.
Two days after the papers landed on my table, Mark packed two suitcases.