Marin smiled and waved at the cars backing out of her driveway. Once they were out of sight, she allowed her anger to bubble to the surface.

She slammed the front door behind her as she stalked into the living room behind Jet. She turned to see Jet sitting back in a big armchair by the fire, staring at his phone.

“Are you being serious right now?” Marin asked.

“What? I’m cold.” Jet replied nonchalantly.

Marin stormed over to the fireplace and doused it out with the fire blanket.

“Hey! What are you doing?!” Jet roared as he rose from his seat. They stood facing each other from opposite sides of the room.

“Why’d you invite Casey over to dinner? It was supposed be a family dinner, just us, and Charlotte and Greg, and my mom, and you invited your work whore?!” Marin yelled.

“Hey! Don’t call her that!” Jet said.

“I’ll call her whatever I fucking want if you’re going to spend the whole night playing footsie with her instead of your goddamn wife!”

“She’s actually really nice, which you’d know if you gave her a chance. And she makes me happy! You never ask me what I want, it’s always your plans —“

“Well maybe they could be OUR plans if you lifted a finger to help—“

“Why would I help with plans that I want nothing to do with?! I’m tired of dinners with Charlotte and Greg and your mom. I’m tired of dinners with you.” Jet said cruelly.

At those words, Marin lost her voice. She stared at Jet, shocked and hurt. He looked down. She clenched her jaw, holding back tears.

“Well, I guess I’ll leave then.” She squeaked. Jet didn’t move.

Marin made her way to the door quickly, turned the doorknob, and pulled. It wouldn’t budge. She pulled harder and heard the cracking of ice. Feeling encouraged, she yanked on the knob as hard as she could, and then she was flying backwards, the broken off doorknob clutched in her fist.

She scrambled up and stared at her hand in disbelief. She turned to see Jet looking at her with a resigned disbelief. He sighed and plopped down into the chair again, staring at his phone. She threw the doorknob at the door in frustration.

She walked over towards the fireplace, grabbed the fire blanket, and turned the other armchair away from Jet. She sat in the chair and curled up under the blanket. As she stared out the window into the overcast winter sky, she wept silently, fearful of what would come next.