I'm Leaving Tomorrow

Sook-Jo gazed at the woman in the mirror. She had no idea who she was. Who was this lady with ribs sticking out of her dress and a wedding ring that dangled off her finger? Her husband was a stranger — not the man she fell in love with. Sook-Jo had already lost a friend, how could she lose her soulmate too?

Todd left the bathroom door open again. Sook-Jo reached for the air spray. “I hope you’re going to clean up after yourself.”

“I will,” he whined. “I’m tired.”

Exhausted from last night, she presumed. She could play dot-to-dot with the bruises on her knees whilst he wore love bites with pride. Todd insisted the bruises were an accident. He had no idea how he caused them, it just happened.

“I never spiked your coke by the way,” Todd hissed, hurling onto the sofa. “You knew what was in there!”

Huffing, Sook-Jo clenched her fists and sighed. “I didn’t think you would actually do it.”

He rolled his head to look at her, then went on his phone. “You thought I would forget.”

She shook her head. “I thought you were joking.” Just because she was fine with it at the time, didn’t make it acceptable now. Sook-Jo couldn’t help but notice a lady pop up on Todd’s phone. When his phone vibrated, he gritted his teeth and turned it off. “Who’s that?”

“Just an acquaintance.”

“Who?”

“It’s private.”

Sook-Jo slammed the living room table. “Why private?”

“It’s…no one you know. I told her how much I’ve fucked up and she wanted to call me.”

By acquaintance, he could mean anybody; one of his sisters; mother; or even an old flame. And Sook-Jo never met any of his family after four years of marriage. She prayed one day she would meet his family, but there was always an excuse.

“I’m going to message Yuzuko,” she said.

“Oh!” Todd hopped off the sofa to fill his water bottle. “Are you going to be talking dirty?”

“No.”

“Liar!”

Yuzuko was Sook-Jo’s first point of call. Even if she was busy, Yuzuko made time to text, more than what her husband would do. On her way upstairs, her fingers banged against the screen.

Yuzuko…I think our marriage is over.

Her phone rang in an instant.

“Hey Yuzuko.” She tried to sound happy, but the tears broke out.

Yuzuko had a manner of speaking that could soothe a storm. “He’s been treating you like rubbish for far too long.”

Sook-Jo wiped her tears and whispered, “The more I think about him, the more I hate him.”

Yuzuko’s voice heightened. “If you need anything, my grandfather knows the court system like the back of his hand. He knows all the best lawyers. They’ll make him pay his way.”

Sook-Jo paused for a moment. “Todd won’t pay. He says he can’t afford it because he’ll have the debt collectors on his back.”

“Rubbish!” Yuzuko snapped. “That’s another excuse on top of all the other excuses.”

“He’s not been the same since his nan died.” Sook-Jo couldn’t believe she allowed herself to stay in a toxic relationship for so long.

“I understand,” Yuzuko whispered, sighing. “But people die all the time. It is not a ticket to be a dickhead.”

“Did I tell you he spiked my coke with semen?”

Yuzuko’s gasp echoed on the line. “What? That’s disgusting. You don’t do that. There are a lot of things that he’s done that’s not normal, but this… is sickening. He’s had free holidays, a babysitter, and a cleaner with you. All he can give you is cheap chocolates. What kind of future is this?”

The good times came up in Sook-Jo’s head; the passionate nights in the park, and all the risks that they took. Even though there were things she was on the edge, and didn’t really want to do …she persevered to make him happy.

“I’m sorry!” Yuzuko bellowed. “I will never forgive him for what he said about the miscarriage!”

“I should have left him when he said the child was better off dead. But I couldn’t live with myself if he does what I think he’s going to do. He’s been having fantasies about dying.”

“Sook-Jo…this is a common manipulation trick. Don’t fall for it.”

The bad times echoed through her head. Always had to knock on her husband’s door. All the money he spent on prostitutes should have been used for bills. If Sook-Jo took a step out of line, she would have been spanked. Todd was a self-proclaimed feminist with a hatred towards patriarchy and capitalism. The hypocrisy was that he was a beneficiary of the things he despised.

“I don’t know if I can end this. I will miss him. I will always care about him. He’s not being the man that I know he can be.”

Yuzuko’s breaths were all Sook-Jo could hear for the next thirty seconds. “Sook-Jo… I’m shaking. He shouldn’t be putting stuff like that in your drinks. He shouldn’t be putting anything in your drinks, full stop. What else has he done to you?”

Sook-Jo looked down on her knees. The answers were things she couldn’t express over the telephone.

“Sook-Jo…if you were my wife, I’d be proud of you. You are an amazing person. You deserve so much better than this.”

Her words gave Sook-Jo goosebumps. It was a feeling of warmth that radiated as if she was right there in person. Sook-Jo nodded like she was there.

Yuzuko continued. “Todd’s been taking advantage of you. All he gets you is chocolate whilst you do and pay for everything.”

Sook-Jo wept again. “I don’t know what to do!”

“I tell you what,” Yuzuko’s tone change warmed her. “Why don’t you come over right now?”

“Don’t you have that stream tonight?”

“There’s always time for you. We’ll make tea together cause tea and cake solves everything!”

“Sure.” Sook-Jo grabbed her handbag and coat. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

When she informed her husband she was going out, Todd assumed it was for sex. Sook-Jo let him think that. Her wedding ring fell off her knuckle and stayed on the floor.