After My Boyfriend Took My Salary

I had just put a bag of rolls in the cart when my boyfriend, Colton Marsh, reached over and placed it back on the shelf, ruffling my hair, grinning. "Since when did you start spending like this? Free samples are right over there." His voice was gentle as he picked a piece off the sample tray and popped it into my mouth. Then, without missing a beat, he turned around and grabbed the most expensive bag of bread and a box of chocolates for his sister, Julie Marsh, before making a point of lining up at the deli counter for a rotisserie chicken. Right before checkout, I set a bag of chips on the counter, a cheap one that cost only $1.99, but Colton didn't hesitate to take it back from the cashier. "Sorry, Julie doesn't eat this stuff." "I want them, though." I smiled and handed them back to the cashier. Colton let out a soft laugh. "Still no. The crunch sound would bother her. Besides, I'm helping you stick to your diet." I frowned. "Me? On a diet? Why don't you check what the scale actually says first?" Affectionately, he flicked my nose, tossed the chips aside, and paid without another glance at me. My eyes drifted from the loaded grocery bags up to Colton's face, where he was on the phone with Julie, going through every item on the list as if it were the most important thing in the world. All at once, the whole thing felt pointless, and I didn't even have the energy left to pout or throw a fit. I looked down at my phone, deleted the wedding invitation still sitting unsent in my inbox, and replied to the overseas job offer while I was at it. Once we sat down at the restaurant, I didn't say a word. Before he ordered, Colton picked up on my mood and glanced up, trying to smooth things over. "I'll get you that Philly Cheesesteak you love, and consider it my apology for how I acted back there, okay?" I didn't respond, just laughed to myself, cold and quiet. The old me would have let it go the second he softened up and started sweet-talking me, but now? I was so drained I couldn't even muster up any anger. Colton ordered several more dishes, all of them my favorites. Before the food even arrived, his phone rang. A few seconds later, he stood and grabbed his coat. "Jules forgot her keys, and it's not safe for her out there on her own, so I'm going to go help her. "Go ahead and eat without me. Then take whatever's left home when you're done. These are all Jules's favorites. Make sure you bring them back." With that, Colton walked out without looking back. He'd left me sitting there alone, watching the couple at the next table feed each other. After one glance at me, they started whispering. I kept my head down, staring at a table full of food I had no appetite for. I finished a single glass of juice and got ready to settle the bill. That was when it hit me that I had only three dollars in my bag. My mind went completely blank. Three dollars wasn't even enough to cover the juice I'd just finished. Back when I first started dating Colton, I gave him both my debit card and credit card. At first, he left me half my salary each month as spending money. However, as time went on, the allowance he gave me kept shrinking. By now, I was pulling in 20 thousand dollars a month, yet Colton only gave me a $2-a-day allowance. I had to save for days just to afford a single bag of chips. Anything beyond that required me to submit request after request, explain the details, and get Julie's approval first. Only once she signed off would he go digging through the clearance aisle for whatever was marked down and about to expire. I stood there in the restaurant, mortified and completely at a loss. The server smiled patiently and repeated the question, "Miss? Card or cash?" I drew a breath. "Let me make a call first." Chewing my lip, I pulled up Colton's number out of pure habit and dialed it, but the call ended before it even connected. Even more frantic, I called again. But this time, it went straight to voicemail. His phone was powered off. I gripped it tighter, my heart sinking. 'How could I forget?' Julie was always startled at the smallest sound. Even when I ate the chips, the crunch was too much for her. So whenever Colton was with her, he never left his phone on vibrate. Most of the time, he simply shut it off. Once, Julie had left me trapped inside a walk-in freezer by accident. I called Colton desperately, over and over, begging for help, but the call never went through. I nearly froze to death in there. Luckily, a security guard on patrol found me just as I was losing consciousness. I was fighting for my life in a hospital bed, while Colton, completely oblivious to what had happened, was enjoying his time picking fruit with Julie at a farm. There was no way I'd reach him now. I glanced nervously at the server. Her patience had clearly run out, and her polite smile had faded. "Ma'am, if you can't cover the bill, we'll have no choice but to call the police." I forced the words out. "I'm so sorry... Could I bring the money tomorrow? I don't have any cash on me right now." Cold sweat beaded across my forehead. Even I was embarrassed hearing myself say it. The couple at the next table joined in, laughing along with the server. "If you can't afford it, why order in the first place? Typical. Girls these days just want free meals." "She probably planned to dine and dash from the start." "I say she's a total scam artist. Just call the cops."