Reset Buttons Don't Exist
A Lesson in Starting Over
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Sonja read the text on her TV screen with a heavy sigh. "Dammit, Rob," she muttered, "this one, too?!" She dropped the remote on the coffee table and leaned back on the couch, fuming but trying her hardest to calm herself with deep breaths. It had been a long, shitty week in a string of long, shitty weeks; her rent had been increased without notice (again), her boss was being extra sadistic for some unknown reason, plus her life was currently spiraling ever since the breakup. All she wanted that weekend was to unwind by binging a few dozen hours of her favorite show, but as soon as she opened Netflix that little beauty popped up in her face.
It's not like this was the first time she'd ended a relationship. Far from it, actually. She also wasn't foolish enough to think what she had with Rob was actually love, not by a longshot. Still, five years with somebody is a long time to spend; they had gotten comfortable around each other, and he knew things about her that very few people ever got to know. She let him in. That's probably why it hurt so much... and it was a mistake she wouldn't make again if she could help it.
She had been foolish enough to think Rob was a decent guy, however. Sure, he cheated occassionally, and he's no prince, but he treated her well and was mature... up until a week before the breakup. That week was the first time in five years she'd actually seen his true colors. It was like dealing with an oversized child: tantrums over nothing, throwing and breaking shit, pettiness beyond belief... and then, he really crossed a line. Sonja touched her cheek where she could still feel the sting of his knuckles upon it, willing away a shiver at the memory. She could take a lot of bullshit, but one thing she wouldn't take was getting slapped around. Not five minutes later, she called her brother and the both of them sent him packing for good.
She thought it was over and done with, but Rob's pettiness seemed never ending. In the last month, every joint account they'd ever shared she'd been locked out of, from streaming services to their checking account, to Youtube and even Steam. Most of the time she didn't bother fighting because it just wasn't worth it, except when it was something she paid for exclusively. Getting the bank to unfreeze the account and give her access to her money had been every bit like pulling teeth, and to her knowledge Rob was still trying to regain control of it. Lucky for her, she'd actually passed the Bar, and Rob hadn't worked in over three years. That money was undoubtedly hers, and the district judge agreed with her. Now, she'd been booted off Netflix.
Sonja sighed again as she started the process of recovering her account. Netflix was one of those services she'd paid for, and she was way too ill to let Rob have this one. While she started on the security questions, she thanked her lucky stars that they didn't have kids or any pets to share custody of. Lord knows Rob tried for kids, though. "What woman in her mid-thirties doesn't want kids?" he would say. Shows what he knew. Sonja had worked too hard for too long to get where she was in her firm; having a kid was nowhere near her agenda, and most likely never would be. She shivered again at the pregnancy scare she'd had three months ago, and at the memory of how angry she was when she'd caught Rob poking holes in their condoms not long after. That should've been enough to get her to wise up, but like an idiot she'd forgiven him. After all, he was stoned off his ass while doing it.
Sonja paused when she got to a security question that threw her for a loop: What was the name of your first childhood pet? Sonja never had any pets growing up. She was allergic to both fur and feathers, and her parents always said pets were too messy anyway. An irritated snarl left her throat when she finally remembered: Rob helped her set up the account the day they got Netflix, and he'd picked the security questions. As much as he knew about her, she let him fill them in without paying much attention. Second biggest mistake of her life, apparently. She wracked her brain, trying to remember any instance that he'd mentioned his past pets. There had been a lot: a turtle, two dogs, a handful of cats, a goldfish... she tried the names of each she could remember, but none was the correct answer.
Sonja dropped the remote again with a swear under her breath. She didn't know the answer to the question. The only solution was to call Rob and ask him what it was. She stared at her phone, palms sweating and throat dry, for a good ten minutes before slowly scrolling to his contact. She questioned whether this was actually worth it, and to her dismay realized it absolutely was. Her card was still tied to the account, and until she either cancelled the subscription or changed the payment Rob would continue watching movies and shows through it on her dime. If anything, she couldn't live with giving him the satisfaction.
She hurried to the kitchen first to pour herself another glass of wine, as this was definitely not something she wanted to do sober. After a few minutes' hesitation, she finally pressed "call". The first few attempts went straight to voicemail after two rings, but the third call was actually picked up. "Hi there, Beautiful," Rob crooned into the speaker.
Sonja steeled herself against the buttery softness of his deep voice, surprised by how much she'd missed it. "Spare me," she muttered, "you kicked me out of Netflix. Tell me what the answers are to the security questions before I cancel the card tied to it."
Rob laughed softly into the phone. "Babe, c'mon," he chided, "It''s our account. Do you really hate me that much?"
Sonja fidgeted in her seat and took another gulp of wine. "I don't hate you," she admitted, "I'm just disappointed that the guy I fell in love with turned out to be such a petty man-child. What was your first childhood pet? I don't remember. That's the only one I'm stuck on."
"You love me?" Rob asked, completely ignoring her question. "Aww, Buttercup... I still love you, too. I miss you a lot. Are you doing anything tomorrow night? We could go uptown to that bistro you like, maybe catch a movie, or-?"
"No," she snapped, "Dammit, Rob, stop it! We're done: I said I don't want to see you again, and I meant it! Are you going to tell me the name of your first childhood pet or not?!"
Rob went quiet for a long while, to the point where she thought the call had dropped. Sonja was just about to hang up and call again when a whimpering snivel met her ear. "Babe, I'm sorry," he whined, "I was high; I didn't mean to hit you, it was an accident! I promise I won't ever do it again! I want you back, Sonja, please!! Baby, please, take me back!!"
He sounded so desperate and sincere that it was pitiful. Sonja felt her throat tighten with a sob and her eyes sting with tears, then quickly disconnected the call. Rob tried to call her back, so she turned off her phone. She stared at the TV for a few minutes, blinking and wiping away her tears, then opened her laptop on the coffee table. Within a minute she had her email inbox pulled up with a recent message from Netflix open, and her mouse cursor hovering over the link labeled "cancel subscription." The prompt that came after asked if she was sure she wanted to terminate the account, and she clicked "yes."
Sonja sat there on the couch weeping for a while after her TV screen changed back to the default "Welcome to Netflix" screen. She took a few deep breaths to center herself and drained her glass, then moved the remote over the button labeled "create new account". For the next hour she sat there, setting up the account and rebuilding her profile from scratch. With each click and letter typed, she felt a piece of her broken heart start to mend fracture by fracture, and for the first time in weeks she felt like everything was going to be alright.
About the Creator
Natalie Gray
Welcome, Travelers! Allow me to introduce you to a compelling world of Magick and Mystery. My stories are not for the faint of heart, but should you deign to read them I hope you will find them entertaining and intriguing to say the least.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Comments (1)
So much is captured in the dialog and unwritten dialog. It's fun exploring the emotions hiding behind those pauses and unspoken words.