Rachel stayed silent.
A few minutes later, conversation started again, but it felt forced.
I couldn’t stop watching her.
Every little thing that hadn’t bothered me before started bothering me now.
The expensive vacations.
The flowers.
The jewelry.
David always chose them.
David always paid.
David always planned everything.
I wondered when Rachel had last chosen anything herself.
She barely spoke while we ate dessert.
When someone wished her happy birthday again, she smiled and thanked them.
But the smile vanished the second they looked away.
Later, David stepped outside to take a call.
Rachel stood.
“I’m going to the restroom.”
I waited a few seconds, then followed her.
She was standing at the sink when I walked in.
She looked at me through the mirror.
“What?”
I closed the door behind me.
“What’s going on?”
She forced a laugh.
“He’s just careful with our finances.”
“Rachel, he took your card.”
Her smile disappeared.
For the first time that night, she looked scared.
Not embarrassed.
Scared.
Her expression suddenly changed.
She checked the restroom stalls before whispering:
“It’s not really my card.”
