The hallway was dark. As I walked into the living area, both Daniel and Vanessa looked up from the couch. The broken plates and spilled food had been cleared from the kitchen floor, though a dark stain from the gravy still marred the grout lines. Daniel stood up immediately when he saw the suitcase.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he demanded, stepping into the pathway toward the front door. “You’re making a scene out of nothing. Married couples have fights, Emily. It happens. You don’t just pack up and leave.”

“This isn’t a fight, Daniel. You put your hands on me,” I said, keeping my distance. “Move out of the way.”

“You’re being ridiculous,” Vanessa muttered, though she stayed safely behind her brother. “Where are you even going to go? Your parents are in Seattle.”

She was right about that. My family was hours away, and my new job orientation had only just begun. I had few close friends in the city yet. But I would sleep in my car before I spent another hour under this roof.

“Daniel, move,” I repeated, my voice steady despite the tremor in my knees.

He stared at me, his jaw clenched, searching my face for any sign of hesitation. When he saw none, his posture shifted. The anger faded into a cold, arrogant smirk. He stepped aside, gesturing toward the door with an open palm.

“Go ahead,” he said sneeringly. “Run to a motel. Spend your savings. When you realize how expensive it is out there alone, and how embarrassing it’s going to be to tell everyone your marriage lasted two days because you couldn’t handle a disagreement, you’ll come back. But don’t expect me to be waiting with open arms.”

I didn’t answer him. I grabbed the handle of my suitcase, opened the front door, and walked out into the cool Portland night. The door slammed shut behind me, the sound echoing through the quiet apartment corridor.

The cool air hit my face, soothing the ache in my cheek. I walked down to the parking garage, loaded my bag into the trunk of my sedan, and sat in the driver’s seat. For the first time since the slap, the adrenaline began to fade, and a wave of exhaustion washed over me. I gripped the steering wheel, staring at the concrete wall in front of me, realizing that the life I had planned, the future I had envisioned with Daniel, was completely gone.

I started the engine and drove out into the city. I needed a safe place to think, a place where Daniel couldn’t find me, and a place to plan my next move. The marriage was over, but the battle for my life and my independence was just beginning.