Hard work brought Michael wealth and comfort, but eventually, it cost him his family. One day, while waiting for a woman he met on a dating app, Michael is stunned to see his wife bearing down on him.
“But we never do anything fun together.” Catherine pushed her cereal aside. “We haven’t been on vacation in ages, and our son spends most of his time alone, Michael. A trip to California is just what this family needs.”
Michael shook his head impatiently. “I’m the man of the house and have to work hard to support our family, Cat. Besides, I’m up for a big promotion. If I get this, it will be my dream job. I will have to travel, and the hours will be a bit longer, but the salary increase is great.”
Michael grinned at his wife, but Catherine folded her hands together and sighed.
“Well, I hope that dream job is worth it because it might cost you your family.” Catherine stood and grabbed her car keys. “Some day soon, you’ll need to decide between your crazy work hours and your family, Michael. Arthur and I never get to spend time with you anymore.”
“What do you mean? We’re spending time together right now.”
As usual, Michael was missing the point entirely. Did she need to make neon signs declaring his family missed him before Mike would see reason?
After dropping Arthur off at school, Catherine went to the beauty salon, as was her Friday routine. She complained bitterly about Michael to her hairdresser, Karen, while the woman touched up her highlights.
“You should leave him. That man clearly only thinks of himself.” Karen pursed her lips and shook her head.
“If this goes on, you’ll just end up miserable and bitter, filled with regrets about the life you could’ve had. Take it from a woman who learned this lesson the hard way.”
Catherine frowned. She hadn’t thought of it that way. Did she want to spend her life competing with Mike’s job to get a minute of his attention? She might as well live alone in that case.
“Besides, a gorgeous woman like you would soon have men lining up around the block for a chance to show you a good time.” Karen winked at her in the mirror. “You don’t need to hang onto Michael when he obviously doesn’t appreciate you.”
Catherine didn’t smile. She couldn’t stop thinking of the lonely picture Karen had painted for her. When she went to the next room, her manicurist, Lucy, immediately noticed Catherine’s troubled expression.
“I don’t know, Catherine.” Lucy carefully applied nail art to Catherine’s French tips. “I think it’s a bit drastic to leave Michael, no matter what Karen says. Y’all need to have a proper sit-down so he can realize his mistake and fix it.”
Catherine watched Lucy decorate her nails. She was a sweetheart, but she was in her early twenties and impossibly optimistic about how the world worked.
“I’m only staying long enough to tell you that you’re a creep for dating Lucy. She’s ten years younger than you, for God’s sake!”
“I’ve tried talking to him, Lucy. I tried this morning, and it went right over his head.” Catherine released a heavy sigh. “I think he doesn’t want to listen to me. How else could he be so oblivious?”
Lucy shrugged. “Sometimes people get tunnel vision: they only see what they’re focused on. You need to find a way to get through to him.”
Catherine didn’t say it, but in her heart, she felt that her relationship with Mike had deteriorated to a point where she didn’t know how to reach him anymore. She fought back tears as she realized how great a distance had grown between them. Was there even enough left of her marriage to fight for?
Nonetheless, Catherine decided to give Michael one last chance. That evening, after Arthur went to bed, Catherine cornered Michael in the sitting room. She sat beside him, switched off the TV, and told him everything bothering her.
“I’m starting to feel like this marriage is a joke because you’re barely involved in my and Arthur’s lives. I’m unhappy Mike, and I’m afraid that you don’t love me anymore.”
“What! That’s ridiculous,” Michael scoffed. “Would I be working so hard to provide you with a comfortable life if I didn’t love you and Arthur?”
“Since it often seems like you love your job more than anything, yes.” Catherine rose. This conversation felt like a waste of time..
“I won’t carry on like this. Either you turn down that promotion and start spending more time with us, or I’m leaving.”
“You hypocrite.” Mike rose too and glared at Catherine. “You’re quick to criticize, Cat, but I’m not the one who spends thousands of dollars on clothes and salon appointments each month. Where do you think that money will come from if I cut back on work?”
“It’s not about the money, Mike.” Catherine shook her head sadly. “I’m going to start divorce proceedings in the morning.”
“Fine, it that’s how you want it.” Michael left the room. An hour later, he drove away to stay at a hotel.
A few days later, Mike lay on the bed in his luxury hotel room, staring at the ceiling. The terrible turn his life had taken was finally sinking in, and with it came incredible loneliness. He thought of Catherine and Arthur, but all his memories were of seeing his family in passing. When last had they spent quality time together?
There was a time when Arthur was five, and they’d spent a weekend in New York City. Arthur was ten years old now. How had the time passed so quickly? Guilt made his heart feel like a lead weight in his chest. Catherine was right.
Michael called Catherine immediately. He started to apologize and asked to meet with Cat so they could talk, but she cut him off.
“I don’t love you anymore, Michael. You drove me away with your work obsession, and I don’t see any point in meeting up. I am glad you called though…”
Michael sat up straight. He may still have a chance to fix what he broke.
“…I’ve been meaning to text you that Arthur and I have moved in with my mom so you can return to the house whenever.”
Catherine hung up, but Michael spent a long time staring at his phone, hoping she’d call back..
Michael felt like a ghost in his own home. Every evening, he wandered the rooms and corridors and noticed how much emptier the place was every day. It was more than just the missing furniture too. Mike kept expecting to hear Arthur or Cat’s voices, but that was impossible.
By Friday, he couldn’t take it anymore. He called his boss to say he’d come in late and headed to the beauty salon Catherine frequented on Fridays. The moment Michael entered, a young woman came forward to greet him.
“Hi, I’m Lucy. How can I help you, sir?”
Lucy…Mike was sure he’d heard Cat mention a woman called Lucy before. He asked if Catherine was there, and the woman shook her head.
“Sorry, sir. Mrs. Wheeler has altered her appointment times. Before you ask, I’m not at liberty to disclose that information to you.”
Lucy cocked her head to one side. “If I may ask, how do you know Mrs. Wheeler?”
“I’m her husband. At least, I used to be.” Michael hung his head. “It seems like I’ve really lost her forever.”
Several days later, Michael sat in a cafe watching the door. A cup of coffee was growing cold before him as he’d quickly realized caffeine was a bad idea when he was already nervous.
The woman he’d met on a dating app would walk through that door any minute now. He arranged the small bouquet of carnations he’d brought again. Maybe the flowers were too much. He didn’t want this woman to think he was too forward or had incorrect assumptions.
Panic clenched around Mike’s heart as he watched Catherine walk away. He couldn’t lose her, not again!
Michael decided to get rid of the flowers. A beautiful woman swept inside as he approached the trash can near the door. Their eyes met, and Michael felt like the breath had left his lungs. His sense returned to him as she strode toward him with a determined look.
“Catherine, what are you doing here?” Michael asked.
“I came here to deliver something. Here it is!” Catherine pulled her arm back to slap Michael.
“Wait!” Michael raised the carnations. Petals exploded into the air when Catherine’s slap connected with the flowers. “I can explain everything!”
“The truth is, I knew you’d be here, Cat. It was all part of the plan. Sit down with me, please, so I can explain.”
Catherine stared at him suspiciously but let him guide her to the table where his ice-cold coffee sat.
“I’m only staying long enough to tell you that you’re a creep for dating Lucy. She’s ten years younger than you, for God’s sake!”
“We aren’t dating, I swear. In fact, Lucy helped me set this up, so you and I could straighten things out.”
Michael explained to Catherine how he’d met Lucy the previous Friday when he went to the beauty salon and how she’d helped him develop this plan.
Catherine crossed her arms tightly. “Well, I was getting my nails done an hour ago when Lucy started telling me about this great guy she met on a dating app. Imagine my surprise when she showed me your profile.”
“All part of the plan. See?” He raised his phone, so she could watch him delete the app. “There’s something else you should know. Lucy isn’t the only person I met at the salon.” Michael frowned. “I didn’t realize your hair stylist was my ex-girlfriend.”
“Karen and I split up after I met you at college,” Michael continued. “But she was all over me the moment she recognized me. Lucy and I realized then that Karen gave you bad advice in the hope of splitting us up.”
“Even if that’s true, it doesn’t change anything.” Catherine had tears in her eyes as she stood. “You still love your job more than your family.”
Panic clenched around Mike’s heart as he watched Catherine walk away. He couldn’t lose her, not again!
“I turned down the promotion,” he shouted. Several other people in the cafe turned to stare at him, but Michael didn’t care.
Catherine turned to stare at him, her mouth open in surprise.
“I realize now that money and respectable job titles mean nothing if I don’t have you and Arthur in my life. Please, give me another chance, Cat. I came here today to prove my love for you, and I know you must still feel something for me because you were so angry at the thought of me dating.”
Catherine agreed to stay for the rest of the evening. She was angry with Karen for misleading her, shocked at Lucy’s part in this plan, and still had misgivings about Mike’s change of heart, but she was willing to try one more time.
Soon, Catherine realized how much thought and effort Mike put into planning this date. When they left the cafe, he took her to an ice rink. They skated together, just like when they first started dating, and then he took her to a special viewing of her favorite movie.
Afterward, they walked through a park, pausing when they reached the bench where they shared their first kiss. Mike and Cat gazed into each other’s eyes. Not a word needed to be said between them.
Catherine lingered on the porch when Mike walked her to the door of her mother’s home. She didn’t want the night to end.
“So…” Catherine smiled awkwardly.
“Another chance?”
Mike stepped forward. Catherine thought they might kiss for a moment, but then the front door flew open.
“Have you two finally come to your senses?” Arthur looked from one parent to the other with a cheeky grin.
“It’s a good business with established clientele, and, most importantly, it will allow you to earn an income with something you enjoy.”
Catherine stared at Michael. She still couldn’t believe he’d bought the beauty salon for her.
“Come on.” He grinned at her. “Everyone’s waiting to meet their new boss.”
The staff was shocked when a recognized client walked through the door, but nobody was as surprised as Karen. She chewed her lip and looked at the ecstatic couple. When Catherine approached her, she knew what was coming by the look on her new boss’s face.
“I’m fired, right?” Karen said.
“Of course not; it’s not like you tried to break up my marriage so you could make a move on my husband.” Catherine smiled viciously. “Yes, Karen, you’re fired.”
