"Ford, tell me why? How is that woman better than me? She's old and brings a son? How long have you two been together? Celebrating birthdays and posting disgusting videos online? Ford, do you have any shame left!"
"Clara... let me explain, it's not what you think!"
Ford reached out to grab me, and I felt a wave of goosebumps; I didn't want him to touch me at all.
"Get away from me! Don't touch me! You disgusting jerk!"
I lost control and stood up, smashing the vase on the floor.
The glass shattered, just like my remaining sanity and dignity.
"Do you think I wanted this?"
My outburst only fueled Ford's own rising anger.
In over ten years of knowing him, I had never seen him like this.
"Clara Shaw, do you think I wanted this? I'm being forced into it; I'm practically being driven to my death!"
He kicked a chair, overturned a table, and then crouched down, holding his head.
"I'm being driven to my death! You have no idea what my family situation is! To afford the down payment on this house, I sold my parents' home and the land back in my hometown. My mother is almost seventy, living alone in a cramped apartment. I have nearly twenty thousand in mortgage and car loans every month. I work during the day, drive for rideshare at night, and take side jobs on weekends. I can't even afford the three-dollar meat dish in the cafeteria! Do you think this is easy for me?"
I was shaking with anger at Ford. I had imagined countless scenarios, even if he had said he was tired of me or just wanted something new. Even if he had said that any woman who cared for him a little more than I did would suffice.
"So you feel wronged? So you cheat? You sleep with an older woman to relieve stress, don't you? Ford, you're the most shameless person!"
"Me shameless? Clara, who's really shameless here? Look at your mother and brother; they would chew my bones if they could! They want to add your name to the house, and for the first three months, the car was for your brother. He crashed it and fled the scene; the insurance won't cover it, and I have to pay out of pocket for thousands! Plus, that huge dowry you expect? Where do you expect me to get that? Steal? Rob? Sell my kidney? You want to know why I'm with Sophia? I'll tell you straight up, Clara. Because she has money, and she pays me for my time! What about you?"
"What did you say?"