I went to an emergency clinic in Cambridge and the doctor examined me quietly before asking in a low voice, “Do you want me to activate the official protocol for domestic violence,” and after a long second I nodded because I knew documentation would matter.
After that I went to my sister Olivia’s apartment in Somerville, and when she opened the door she did not ask what happened but said firmly, “Come inside and if you hide this again I will lose my mind.”
I sat on her couch and told her everything from the card charge to the planned trip to the kick that forced me out, and she listened with her jaw tight before asking, “So what are you going to do now.”
I looked at my hands and said, “I am going to take away his sense of control and make sure he never does this again.”
Brandon worked at the same company as me, Silverline Dynamics, where he handled corporate sales while I worked in finance and compliance, and for months I had noticed irregular expenses tied to his accounts including duplicate invoices, inflated dinners, and suspicious travel claims.