He Changed the Locks, I Changed Him

My husband, Beck Callahan, has manic disorder. Every time we get into an argument, he coldly drives me to a hotel. "My condition's unstable, and I might hurt you. I'm changing the locks at home, but I'll give you the new keys once I calm down." I've always thought that I'm lucky that he's willing to restrain his temper for my sake. Hence, as soon as I receive the new key, I hurry back home. That's what I believe until I run into Beck's therapist, Dr. Smith, after my gynecology appointment and learn that he hasn't had an episode in five years. For reasons I can't explain, I pull up the surveillance footage outside our front door. Then, I see my best friend, Iria Sinclair, pull out a key and gently turn it in the lock. The door swings open, and Beck emerges, pulling her into his arms. "Remember to keep the new key somewhere safe." Iria giggles and playfully smacks him before the two of them walk inside together. The sun has set by the time I return to the hotel. The receptionist calls out to me, "Mr. Callahan dropped off a key for you, Ms. West." I fall silent for a couple of seconds before responding, "Throw it away." Chapter 1 Elma's POV I had only taken a few steps before I was pulled into a familiar embrace. "I've calmed down now. The front desk has given you the new key, right?" I turned to look into Beck Callahan's eyes. There wasn't the slightest crack in his composure. "Yeah." "That's good to hear. I just got it replaced, so I brought it straight to you." All of a sudden, I wanted to laugh out loud. This was clearly the second key. Every single day I had spent locked out of our home, Iria Sinclair could unlock that door effortlessly. Without uttering a word, I walked toward the passenger seat out of habit. I still had to make a trip back; after all, some of my belongings were still there. The moment I pulled open the car door, I froze. Iria greeted me with a smile. Beck froze for a moment. "I forgot to tell you to sit in the back seat. Iria just finished working overtime, and since it was raining, I picked her up on the way." I smiled slightly. "You two sure are close now." "Iria's your best friend, so I'm just looking out for her." He cared more about her than he ever did about me. In the past, when he fell off his bike and needed several stitches at the hospital, Iria was the one who told me. When the project he'd been working on for years finally succeeded and secured its funding, she was also the one who told me. He had never told me a single thing himself. The last time, I couldn't hold it in anymore and asked him, "If you needed time to cool off by yourself, why did you only block me and not her?" "Because Iria's your best friend. If an emergency comes up, you can reach me through her," he responded. His tone was so candid it made me seem like the petty one instead. "Hurry up and get in before you get soaked, Ellie." Iria's voice pulled me back to reality. As soon as I climbed into the car, the sickly sweet perfume mingled with Beck's woody cologne that filled the cabin made my stomach churn. "My cat had kittens a few days ago. Do you guys want to adopt one?" I was just about to refuse when Beck agreed. "Sure." I was caught off guard. I had a severe allergic reaction to the cat fur at my colleague's house. I'd broken out in rashes and developed a fever, and Beck had stayed by my side in the hospital all night. After I had been discharged, he even took time off work to stay home and look after me for two whole days. When he had nothing else to do, he would pore over my test results. "I'll never let you near cats again. I've memorized every single allergen from that hospital panel, and I'm going to keep a real close eye on you from now on." Back then, the look in his eyes had been both tender and solemn. Yet, now, when he heard about raising a kitten, he didn't even bat an eye. "By the way, I bought three escape room tickets. Let's go together this weekend," Beck said. My hands trembled uncontrollably, and with a dull thud, my phone slipped onto the floor mat. When I was little, I was forgotten by a staff member at the orphanage and accidentally locked in a storage room overnight. From then on, I could never bring myself to go into confined spaces. I couldn't even sleep at night without the lights on. I had lived in fear for so many years, yet he had long forgotten why I slept with the lights on. I lowered my gaze. My heart felt like a barren wasteland. "I'm not going." Beck clicked his tongue. "Don't be such a buzzkill, Elma. We haven't seen each other in days. Why are you acting like this the moment we meet?" The cramped space inside the car suddenly felt suffocating, and all I wanted was to get out. "Pull over." Right after saying that, I bent down to pick up my phone, only to feel something sticky underneath the seat. I followed the faint glow from my phone screen and noticed it was actually a condom—a freshly used one. In a heartbeat, my stomach churned. The car pulled over at the curb, and I immediately hopped off. "Where are you going?" "I'm going to buy some blue cheese cheesecake." "In that case, make sure you finish it before you come home. Iria doesn't like the smell of blue cheese." His car sped off, leaving a cloud of exhaust behind. I stood in the rain for a long while before that overwhelming sense of nausea was finally washed away. Just then, my real estate agent called. "Ma'am, the tenant for your small apartment in Florenza has decided not to renew the lease. Should I list it on the platform again, or are you planning to take it back?" "I'd like to take it back," I responded calmly. "Got it. The lease ends the day after tomorrow, so remember to come over for the inspection." Chapter 2 I went to the bakery on North Street on my own. When I was little, I was dirt poor, so blue cheese was a luxury I couldn't afford. That lasted until I turned 18, when Beck used the money he'd earned from underground street fights to buy me a blue cheese cheesecake. That was the very first time I'd ever tasted blue cheese. Back then, he was covered in bruises from those illegal matches, yet he couldn't even bring himself to spend money on antiseptic. "I'm strong. I'll be fine in a few days." He then swore, "I'll buy you blue cheese for the rest of my life!" ... By the time I finished my cake, the bakery was already closing up for the night. "I knew you'd be here." Beck appeared behind me out of the blue. He sighed. "Alright. Let's just put what happened this morning behind us." "Where's my suitcase?" "I left it at home. Come on, let's head back. I won't make you stay at a hotel this time." I let out a bitter chuckle. Since when did even letting me come home become a reward? … By the time we arrived home, Iris was setting the table. The place had changed again compared to 43 days ago. Last time, I was away for 35 days, and when I returned, the couch had been replaced. The time before that, I'd been gone for 30 days, and the dining table had been replaced when I returned. Before that, it was the rug, the wine cabinet... Every single thing we had picked out together had been swapped out. This time, it was the bedding that had been replaced. It was blue now. Back then, the psychologist had told us that sleep was vital for Beck's treatment. Consequently, I tried out almost every brand on the market before settling on that specific set. I wanted to ask Beck why he had changed it, but the moment my gaze landed on Iria's blue slip dress, I suddenly lost all desire to know. Iria walked up to me and linked her arm through mine. "Get over here! Beck and I made a whole spread for dinner." I sat at the dining table and took in the spread of sickly-sweet dishes before feeling a little nauseous. The two of them sat across from me. I sat next to Iria, like a guest. All of a sudden, something furry brushed against my ankle. I shot to my feet, startled. "Why's there a cat in the house?" Iris smiled. "Did you forget? You agreed to raise a kitten." "I'm allergic to cat—" Before I could finish, Beck cut me off. "Elma, you're way too reserved. You should learn from Iria and raise a cat or dog. Who knows? It might help you come out of your shell." So, he thought I was too reserved and in my shell… During the years when his mania was at its worst, he was always telling me to be quiet. Even when we only had a minor argument, I would voluntarily move out to leave him with a quiet home. I parted my lips to explain myself, but all of a sudden, I felt drained. "I'm full." My voice was barely above a whisper. After returning to my bedroom, I took an antihistamine and began packing my luggage. Truth be told, there wasn't much to pack. Ever since our second year of marriage, I had started staying in hotels frequently. Beck walked in, and I immediately shoved my pregnancy test report into my suitcase. Leaning against the doorframe, he asked me, "Why are you packing your belongings?" The very next second, Iria poked her head in and gasped. "Ellie, are you moving out? Beck, you really need to reflect on yourself. Why doesn't she like staying at home?" After hearing that, he frowned. "Elma, was the hotel I booked for you really that nice? Is that why you don't want to come home?" I rose to my feet and gazed at them. The emotions I'd just suppressed threatened to overflow. "Yeah. Hotels are much more comfortable than home. At least I don't have to worry about being kicked out the next day." Beck was caught off guard. For a moment, he looked flustered. He pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek and chuckled. "Fine. If you want to stay in a hotel that badly, I'll arrange it for you." … An hour later, the car pulled up in front of a dilapidated motel on the outskirts of town. The motel's entrance curtain was caked in greasy, unidentifiable grime. The paint on the sign had completely peeled off. "Enjoy your stay. Don't even bother switching hotels because I've frozen all your cards. Also, I changed the door lock. I'll drop off the new key whenever I get around to it." I tightened my grip on my suitcase handle and quietly watched his white car disappear into the darkness. This time, I no longer held my breath for the new key. Chapter 3 When I pulled open the door to the motel room, the musty air rushed straight into my nostrils. For 50 dollars a night, the room was cramped and suffocating. Its walls and furnishings were tinged a dirty, faded yellow. I pulled out a few pieces of clothing from my suitcase, spread them over the bed, and spent the night curled up in a ball. … As soon as day broke the next morning, I took the remaining cash in my wallet and rode three different buses to get to the city hospital. Little did I know, I'd run into two familiar figures there. "I drove Elma away last night, so we can finally head to Gastonie this afternoon like you've been wanting to." Beck affectionately pinched Iria's cheek. "You're such a handful. Last time, you wanted to go to Verdagne. Before that, you wanted to go to Eisnerland. Then there's Zephyria, Oceana..." He counted them off on his fingers, rattling off one place after another. In the end, he sighed. "Every time, I have to find a way to drive Elma off. It's exhausting." My heart sank into my stomach. One after another, all those petty, even downright absurd arguments came flooding back to me. Sometimes, it was because I arrived home late. Other times, it was because of a piece of clothing. At times, it was because of a meal. Occasionally, it was over something as stupid as a pen. Time and again, he had deliberately found ways to pick fights with me. Then, he used his mental illness as an excuse to send me to a hotel, just so he could take Iria on trips. In an instant, all those years of deception set me ablaze. I was just about to take a step forward when Iria's next words froze me dead in my tracks. "In that case, what do you plan to do about the baby in my belly?" "I'll find a way to bring the baby home and raise them. I'll have them recognize Elma as their mother first." Tears welled up in Iria's eyes. "You want my baby to call Elma 'Mom'?" "Don't worry. I'll buy you a house right next door to ours. Whenever you miss them, you can come over anytime. I'll send Elma off to hotels just like I always do. All of my resources and assets will also be left to our child." The very next second, I couldn't take it anymore and struck Beck hard across the face. Our eyes met, and the air instantly froze. Iria's sobs shattered the suffocating silence. She clutched my hand and choked out, "I'm sorry, Ellie. This is all my fault…" I flung her hand away. Iria stumbled and fell, but Beck caught her. The anger and shock that had flashed across his face were already gone. "That's enough. You've been with me for so many years. Of course, I won't shortchange you. "Besides, you don't have a dime to your name right now. In other words, you can't survive without me." Just then, Iria cried out, "It hurts... I think I hit my stomach when I fell!" Beck immediately caught her. "Three years ago, the doctor said it'd be nearly impossible for you to ever get pregnant, so I'm definitely keeping the baby in Iria's belly. "I'll have Milo deliver the divorce agreement to the motel tonight. Sign it. Once Iria and the baby are registered under my family household, we'll get remarried." I clutched my pregnancy test report tightly in my hand. The hesitation and conflict I had felt about aborting my baby vanished into thin air. … I didn't even know how I made it onto the operating table. Then, I heard the doctor. "Alright, you can get up now. Make sure to avoid strenuous exercise and intercourse for a month, and keep a close eye on how you feel." I endured the cramping pain from my uterus contracting after the procedure and made my way to the hospital entrance, where I saw Beck wheel Iria out. "Beck, have you thought of a name for the baby yet?" "I have. If he's a boy, we'll name him Ansel Callahan; if she's a girl, we'll name her Anya Callahan." Those were the names Beck and I had come up with together when we were in college. I caressed my lower abdomen. It was empty now. … When I returned to the motel, Beck's assistant, Milo Long, had already delivered the divorce agreement. He was accompanied by two bodyguards. One of them was on the phone. Beck's voice came through the phone. "If she refuses to sign, find a way to make her sign it. However, be careful. Don't hurt her." I sneered and picked up the pen. Under their watchful eyes, I signed my name without the slightest hesitation. "Mrs. Callahan has signed it, Mr. Callahan." The other end of the line went dead silent for a couple of seconds before Beck said softly, "Alright." … The following day, I dragged my suitcase to the train station. Beck was unaware of my apartment in Florenza. I'd purchased it with my own savings before we got married. Since I didn't need it, I had rented it out for five years. The rent was 2500 dollars a month. I had accumulated 150 grand, which was enough to support me for a while. Hence, I wasn't dirt poor like he claimed I was. I boarded the train to Florenza with peace of mind, with my debit card and the deed to my little apartment. It was merely a small, 700-square-foot apartment. However, I could clutch the key firmly in my hand. … Third-person POV Every night in Gastonie, before going to bed, Beck would stare long and hard at the divorce agreement. For some reason, he began to feel uneasy. He called Milo and asked him to deliver the new key to Elma. Then, he sent her two messages. "This divorce is just for show. We can still go back to how things were. I had Milo deliver you the new key. Go home and wait for me." Just then, Milo called. "Mr. Callahan, it looks like Mrs. Callahan has been pregnant for about two months. I just ran into the psychologist who treated you, and he told me he bumped into her at the hospital recently and even saw her pregnancy test report." After hanging up, Beck immediately packed his bags and booked the earliest flight home. He had not been this excited in years. He was like a lovestruck young man all over again. … However, when he returned home, an empty house was all that greeted him. Every single one of Elma's belongings had vanished. His eyes were bloodshot as he called Milo. "Where's she? Didn't you give her the key? Didn't you say she was pregnant?"