Stolen Words, Stolen Years

I was going through the mail, sorting it into piles for each of us as normal. Yet, I did a double-take when an odd envelope caught my eye.

It was from a publishing company and was addressed to my boyfriend. The strange thing about it was that out of the two of us, he wasn’t the writer.

“What is this?” I looked at Mark across the living room and he glanced over his coffee mug. I leaned over and passed him the envelope, and I wish I missed the quick look of panic on his face.

Mark opened the envelope, and as he pulled out two pieces of paper it was clear that it contained a cheque.

“What is it?” I asked again, standing up and leaning over him to see the letter that accompanied the paycheque. Mark quickly pulled the documents close to his chest and swallowed hard.

“I-I think they sent it to the wrong person, I have-“ Mark yelped as I snatched the documents away, reading the letter and looking at the considerable payout he received.

“Babe, I-“ I hastily walked through the house, twisting and turning as Mark tried to get the letter back as I read it.

Congratulations… your novel… successful first month… look forward to working with you again… sincerely…

I froze in my tracks as I read over the title of the novel again and again. My heart dropped into my stomach and I was expecting myself to vomit.

As soon as I stopped dodging, Mark snatched away the letter.

“It was you…” I muttered weakly, looking up at him with tears in my eyes as his deer-in-the-headlights expression stayed glued to his face.

“It was you.” I growled. Months ago, a story of mine had been stolen off my computer after I joined a critique group online. I thought it had been a hacker, and with no proof left on my computer that the novel was mine, I had to watch some anonymous stranger release it under their name.

“How could you?” I spat.

“Baby, I did it for us-“

“You held me as I cried, you called the thief an asshole as we looked at PR for my novel under a different name! You did all of this right under my nose and lied to me the whole time!”

“I did it for us, Babe, I swear. Who knows when- or if- you ever would have tried to publish the story on your own. I saw the potential and wanted to do it for you, I was going to give you the money-“

“Then why’d you try to hide it from me?” I threw my hands towards the letter.

“Because I wanted to tell you myself, you know how much I support you-“

“Then why publish under a pseudonym and not my name? Or yours? Why hide the truth even though you knew how heartbroken I was?” I yelled, my voice cracking as I backed him into a corner.

“Because I was scared of how you’d react. Come on, we both know how worked up you can get, just look at yourself right now!” Still holding onto the papers for dear life, Mark motioned to my entire body with frantic hands.

“Yes, I am upset. How did you think I’d react when the person I’ve been furious with for the past six months is the same person I love, the same person I trusted more than anyone?”

“I thought you’d be happy, your book is basically selling itself. Look! One month, five thousand dollars in sales, five thousand!” Mark pointed at the amount on the cheque as it displayed it for me. “I did this for us, for you! This kind of money could be life changing. You would never chase your dreams on your own so I had to do it for you.”

“Then give me the cheque,” I held my hand out expectantly.

“What?” He asked, pulling the papers in closer to him.

“If it was for me, give me the cheque.” Mark froze and I scoffed as I clenched my fists. “What were you going to do with the money?”

“I-I was going to give it to you.” His voice shook with every word.

“Then give me the cheque,” I said, extending my hand even further. Mark gave the smallest shake of his head as he looked down to the cheque.

“I- I can’t!” Mark’s nervousness switched to childlike glee in an instant. “It’s in my name! I have to deposit it in my account! I can move it into our joint account after!”

“Our joint account? You stole my novel, you stole my credit, you stole my chance after I worked on it for years, and you want to split it?”

“You wouldn’t have made this money if it weren’t for me, you never would have published it.”

“That’s bull and you know it.” I clenched my teeth to stop myself from screaming at him.

“Hey, I chose the publisher, I put effort in this too! I deserve a cut.”

I froze, taking a deep breath as I watched him hold the cheque as desperately as a frightened child holds their favourite toy.

He had lied to me for as long as he could about stealing my work, about making my worst fear a reality. The odds of him ever coming clean were slim to none, and I knew that deep down from the moment I read the letter. How long would he have kept this up if I didn’t happen to find the letter in the mail? How deep would he have buried this lie? How long would he act like he loved me while he ripped me apart at the same time? And how long would I keep putting up with his act? It had already been seven years of one red flag after another, and now he had done the worst thing possible. I couldn’t stay any longer, not after this.

“You know what? Keep it all. Keep every cent. Maybe your cheques can keep you company at night because you know what? From here on out, my side of the bed will be empty. I don’t want to see you, and the second I walk out the front door, I never want to speak to you again. Enjoy your money, I hope it was worth it.” I shoved Mark’s shoulder as I walked past him, walking into the bedroom to pack a bag.

“Are you kidding me?” Mark yelled, shaking the walls as he stormed after me into the bedroom. “I make your dreams come true! I put your work out there! I did everything for you and this is how you repay me? Are you serious?” Mark’s breath stuck to my neck as he towered over me, trying to corner me as he screamed in my ear. His onslaught wouldn’t stop, calling me ungrateful and stupid, telling me I could have everything if I stayed but would have nothing if I walked out the door.

I zipped up the bag after shoving my laptop inside, and I pushed forward as Mark tried to block my exit from the bedroom. I finally had to shove Mark aside and jog through the doorway to make it out, and he scrambled after me.

“Baby, Baby, wait! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, you know I love you,” Mark pleaded, chasing after me like a sad puppy as he tried to turn me around to look at him. “I’ll give you every cent and more, I’ll tell the world your name and that it’s your book, just don’t go. Are you really going to throw away seven years over one fight? Baby, please, I’ll do anything you want me to,” Mark begged as I reached the front door.

“Then go to Hell, Mark. I’m done.” I swung the door open and slammed it behind me, but I didn’t even make it a few steps before the door opened again and he stepped into the hall.

“You’re nothing without me! You’ll never amount to anything, you hear me? Your book only matters because I made it matter! I’m the only good thing you’ll ever have! Amy! Amy, don’t you dare walk away from me! Amy!” I locked my car door as soon as I got in, and he pounded on the window as I shifted the car into reverse. The radio drowned out his yelling as I backed out of the driveway, and I sobbed as I drove away, watching him scream through the rear view mirror.

Mark may have shattered my heart more than once, but maybe he’d be good for more than emotional turmoil. After all, my last ex inspired the book he stole, maybe this could turn into something too.