Last winter, when the weather first turned, he'd complained that the down jackets I bought were cheap brands that didn't keep me warm. He'd thrown every single one of them out without asking. The next day, he'd given me the Canada Goose himself, telling me that things were better now, that he'd never let me freeze again.
Neil knew all of that perfectly well. He was doing this on purpose, just to humiliate me.
In that moment, all I felt was regret.
Regret that I'd been so blind about who he really was.
One of the guests thought things had gone too far and tried to intervene. "Come on, Neil. It's below zero out there. She's barely wearing anything underneath. Without that jacket, she'll freeze."
"It's supposed to be a happy occasion. Don't let it end like this. Just swallow your pride and make up with your wife. There's no shame in that."
Neil clearly didn't see it that way.
His lips twisted into a mocking smirk.
"We haven't even signed the certificate. What wife? I spoiled her too much before, that's all. Now she thinks she can throw around words like 'breaking up' whenever she pleases. She should be grateful I'm not making her walk out of here with nothing but the clothes on her back."
"Kathryn, don't say I didn't give you a chance. Apologize right now, promise to get along with Shirley from here on out, and I'll forgive you. We'll sign the certificate, and you'll still be Mrs. Sanchez, just like you wanted."
Shirley nestled against his side and settled in, beaming.
"She's right, you know. Sis, if you've already lowered yourself to being a gold digger, why get so worked up over a little thing like this? I'd quit while I was ahead if I were you."
"It's two in the morning, and in weather like this, you won't find a cab out here. The nearest hotel is miles away. Try not to freeze to death on the side of the road."
The moment the words left his mouth, Neil seemed struck by his own idea. He pulled out his phone and dialed.
"Call every hotel in Capital City. Kathryn Henson is not to be given a room. Anywhere."
My heart plummeted.
This was Neil's obedience test.
He wanted me to understand that he could dictate my life on a whim. He was trying to train me into submission, to break me into something compliant and small.
I drew a long, slow breath. Then I slapped every last bank card onto the coffee table.