Chapter 4

Only then did Muriel sense something was off, and she hurriedly handed me the floor plan from the coffee table.

"This is your wedding home. Garry said Doreen doesn't want to get married anyway, so we might as well keep a room for her."

I looked down.

The master bedroom had been circled again in red pen.

Two words were written beside it.

Doreen Simmons.

Garry pulled me aside.

"Actually, there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

"Doreen's family neighborhood is getting a relocation buyout soon, and the compensation has something to do with marriage."

"She's not planning to get married anyway, so I figured I'd register with her first, then divorce once it's all settled."

My mind went blank for a few seconds.

"What did you say?"

Garry frowned.

"I mean, Doreen isn't planning to marry anyone, so the three of us can just live together."

He handed me his phone.

He must have been afraid I wouldn't believe him, because he'd even saved the relocation policy in advance.

Further down was their registration appointment.

The date was set for next month.

The marriage medical exam, the documents, everything needed to get legally married, all listed out item by item.

They'd even worked out the living arrangements.

Doreen would take the master bedroom, and the two of us would take the second one.

Meals together on ordinary days. For the holidays, they'd go back to the Dickerson family together, and I'd go to my own.

I read down the list, one line at a time.

And I suddenly thought of what Garry had said on our third anniversary.

"It's livelier with three people."

So it turned out, from that moment on.

The future he wanted had never been just his and mine.

Seeing that I still hadn't said anything, Doreen looked uncomfortable.

"Tamara, if you don't agree, then let's just drop it."

Garry frowned at once.

"Drop what?"

He turned to look at me, as if it were all perfectly obvious.

"It's just a registration, it's not like we're really getting married."

"You and I still date the way we always have. What's the harm?"

Afraid I still couldn't wrap my head around it, Garry added another line.

"Besides, Doreen won't marry anyone later, and she doesn't plan on having kids."

"When we're old, our kids can look after all three of us, can't they?"

Doreen paused, then laughed and shoved his shoulder.

"Who said I want your kids taking care of me."

Garry laughed too.

"What's the big deal? We're all family anyway."

"Family..."

"Then what am I?"

Garry didn't even have to think.

"You're my girlfriend, of course."

I suddenly laughed.

So the wife could be Doreen.

The home could have a place for Doreen.

They'd even divided up the life of my future children for me.

The only thing left for me was one word. Girlfriend.

I nodded.

"Fine."

"Then starting today, I'm not that either."

Garry froze.

I looked at him and said it word by word.

"Garry, we're breaking up."

I turned and left.

Garry stayed where he was, his face dark.

Doreen said quietly,

"Maybe we should just forget the registration."

"Forget what."

He tugged irritably at his collar.

"Tamara's just angry right now. She'll get over it in a couple of days."

......

The next day, he went to where I lived.

A few sealed cardboard boxes sat at the door, and the landlord was changing the lock.

"You're looking for Tamara?"

"She already gave up the lease. Said she went back to her hometown, and she's never coming back."

The look on Garry's face froze in an instant.