Page 16 of The Kat Bunglar

Laila Malik

“A trip came up in LA, suddenly,” Laila practiced her words in the mirror, her reflection strained. “I need to go to LA. A client there needs me...”

She hesitated, pulling the corners of her lips upward into a forced smile. She needed to look lively, spontaneous, and casual. Instead, she looked worried and slightly defeated.

“LA? What client?”

Jay’s voice cut through the room.

She blinked as he walked in on her mid-speech prep.

Laila paused, the words caught in her throat. She struggled to meet his eyes. “Um... well, it’s a recent client. His work is based in LA, and I just need to vet the situation. It’s a work trip.”

Jay’s gaze landed on the burgundy bralette peeking from her open suitcase, a mocking eyebrow raised. “And you need a bikini for a work trip?”

“Well, there’s going to be downtime in between meetings. You always tell me I should relax more,” Laila said defensively.

“Does it have to be next week? It’s just bad timing.” Jay rubbed the back of his neck in aggravation. “Since we’ll both be out of town, who is going to supervise the HVAC guy coming out Wednesday to inspect the air conditioner? Or represent us at the Condominium Association meeting? They keep raising our fees for no reason. Honestly, Laila, you couldn’t have picked a worse week to leave.”

“Jay, I don’t have a choice. It’s important that I go.”

Jay snorted in response.

Laila forgot her initial anxiety and launched into their age-old conflict. “Whenyou’reout of town,Ipick up the slack. Can I... can I get a little reciprocity here?”

“I travel for work, Laila. Your cute little bleeding-hearts campaign, which you dress up as a career, doesn’t even cover the utilities of living here. WhenItravel, it means something. It’s not a weekend getaway of wearing crop tops.”

Laila was thunderstruck. “I’m traveling for work too, Jay! Why areyourwork trips more important than mine? I practice law and help people. Sorry, I can’t be a venture capitalist or whatever it is you do. Because every time I turn around, every business you invest in goes bankrupt in three months.At leastI win my cases. Maybeyou’rethe one adding window dressing to that so-called career of yours.”

“So that’s how you feel about me, Lai? After everything I’ve sacrificed when you were in law school?” Jay said, tight-lipped. “I didn’t take the job in Bostonbecause of you.”

Laila went still, her shoulders tensing. She spoke in a voice so quiet it almost cracked. “How many times are you going to throw that in my face? I’ve apologized. I’ve tried to make Chicago our home. We live in this ridiculous penthouse because of you. Even though you’re gone half the year, I’m the one who keeps everything together. Sometimes, I feel like I’m just married to your stuff. Because you’re never here, Jay. You’re always gone.”

Jay’s eyes hardened. “You want to know what gone feels like, Lai? Let me show you.” With that, he strode toward the bedroom door and slammed it shut behind him.

Laila froze, staring at the suitcase in front of her. She wiped away impatient tears, the weight of everything crashing down. She was done. Done with compromising. Done with him—

Before she could finish the thought, Jay tapped on the door and pushed it open.

He took a deep breath, his chest rising with an unfamiliar tension. Then, in a tone she couldn’t quite place, he said, “I wanted to apologize.”

Laila looked up expectantly.

“Marie,” their marriage counselor, “has said we should hold ourselves accountable when arguments go astray. I apologize for overreacting. But your triptriggeredme—”

Laila opened her mouth to protest, but Jay held up a hand to stop her.

“Your triptriggeredme and made me feel unsafe because now we’re in the uncharted territory ofmehaving to cancelmyplans next week to accommodateyourplans. It just feels like you don’t value me the way I value you.”

Laila rubbed her temple in frustration, feeling a headache coming on. She knew the script Marie had built out for them by heart.

“I’m sorry you feel that way, Jay. Next time, I’ll be more mindful about giving you a heads-up when plans change unexpectedly.”

Jay gave a curt nod. “I would appreciate that,” he said as he walked out, shutting the door behind him with a definitiveclick.

Laila sank her face into her hands and took a few deep breaths. Lately, she couldn’t get through one conversation with her husband without it feeling like a verbal duel.

How had her marriage become solonely?

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