Refuse! You promised me you’d hand in your resignation!

Give it up! You promised me youd quit!
Edward, have you lost your mind? Mabel said, pulling herself together. Who turns down a post like that? Do you know the salary?
Moneys what drives you, Edward snapped, contemptuous. Or has power gone to your head?

Readers grow weary of scenes where the heroine weeps over a cooling cup of tea. Yet our heroine never drinks coffee, and the moment we first meet her is inevitably set beside a steaming mug of tea. We could swap the tea for a glass of juice or even milk, but the melancholy would remain.

Mabel sat in a plush armchair, though uncomfortably on the edge, her heavy head bowed over the nowlukewarm tea. Her thoughts were weighty, the situation hopeless. The one solace was that their son, William, saw none of it. A monthlong summer camp had taken him from their home, promising to return happy and wellbehaved. The camp added some strain, but only peripherally.

The real cause was Edward, Mabels husband. The past tense was hung in the air, leaving one to wonder whether he was still her husbanda sort of marital Schrödingers cat. This very doubt tormented Mabel. Was he still there, or had he already vanished?

Edwards final words before slamming the door echoed in her memory:
Enough! I never want to see you again! Youve ruined my whole life! Im leaving!
What exactly had he left for? Was it a temporary departure or forever? No answers came, only more questions.

If we trace the scandal back to its start, perhaps the cause becomes clearer. The blame lay, oddly enough, with the very summer camp William attended. Mabel had paid for it from her bonus, not even using the whole sum. Edward roared, Youve spent forty thousand rubles without consulting me!

In order to throw four hundred pounds out of the family budget you dont need great wit, he snarled. But you should have discussed it! Perhaps we have more pressing needs.
Mabel, shrugging, replied, We have the money! If we need something, lets buy it!

She heard him rant until he stormed out, his words cutting deep after fourteen years of marriage. The worst part was that, in Mabels eyes, she had done nothing wrong, while Edward deemed her the worst wife.

Youd think that if you loved me you wouldnt go poking your nose where it doesnt belong, he bellowed. Stay quiet, be content with life, instead of leaping over everyone!
And what about me? he sneered. You only think of yourself! If you thought of our family youd be a proper housewife, work quietly and tend the home!

Mabel could not see any fault in herself. She worked, kept the house, raised William, and gave Edward affection. When she asked plainly why he was angry, she was met with more accusations. Why? For what? she begged, as the tea continued to cool. And if this money has been saved for ages, why bring it up now? Why does the camp matter?

Commercial office blocks, those labyrinthine towers, are a nightmare for anyone without a map. Yet the countless employees eventually learn the buildings layout, turning the place into a bustling beehive. It was in such a hive that Mabel and Edward first met. Both were coldcall salesmen, hired without qualifications, handed a phone and a stale list of prospects, tasked with ringing endless numbers and pushing products. By the time they crossed paths, each had proven useful enough to stay on staff, but the pressure forced them to escape the office for lunch in the nearby garden.

They worked for rival firms, and without that garden meeting their fates might never have tangled. When two souls share the same woes, they finish each others sentences and draw nearer. A spark grew, and their brief marriage, though short, seemed inevitable.

They delayed children. Mabel owned a flat left by her grandmother, yet she wanted love to fill the rooms as well, which required work. Youth whispered its own rules, and the young couple wished to surrender to each other, postponing responsibilities while swapping work triumphs and missteps each evening.

Three years into their union, Mabel announced, Ive been offered a promotion, and Im pregnant.
Good heavens! Edward exclaimed. What a thrill!
Whats made you so happy? Mabel teased.
The baby, of course! A promotion wont vanish, but a child must be born!

It took Mabel long after another cup of cooling tea to understand the choice. Edward had no promotion on the horizon; he offered her a child instead of a raise. While Mabel was on maternity leave, the burden of providing fell on Edward. As a salesman, his base salary was modest; the rest depended on commissions. Though he managed, no raise came. When Mabel returned, the same promotion she had declined for pregnancy was offered anew.

A nervous tension settled over the household. Mabel blamed jealousy over William; Edward lingered later at work. Their double promotion day arrived: Edward became senior salesman, Mabel a department head. Edward, stingy with compliments but generous with thanks, began urging Mabel to devote more time to home.

Soon Ill be heading a department, he said. Why waste your days in dusty offices? Youre meant for the home and child, and Ill provide.
Mabel, I cant quit now that Ive been trusted with this department, she protested. People rely on me.
So work matters more than family? he asked sharply.

The question was uncomfortable. Mabel balanced home, child, and career. Let me finish my tasks, then Ill step down, she proposed. Edward agreed, unaware of her true plan to hand the branch over to her. When she presented him the dismissal orders, she was bewildered. I didnt even ask! The regional director showed up, handed me the paperwork, flowers, congratulations, and I couldnt speak!

Refuse it! Edward declared. Come back on Monday and turn it down. You promised youd quit!
Mabel, are you mad? she rasped, regaining composure. Who quits a post that pays well? Do you know the salary?
We could fix up the house, buy a car, send William to a good school!
We could finally take a holiday, not save for three years but buy tickets now!

Moneys what drives you, Edward retorted disdainfully. Or has power gone to your head?

I think of the family first, Mabel replied. I manage work, keep the house spotless, cook, and always find time for you.

Edwards complaints faded once Mabel bought a car herself and handed him the keys. Harmony returned; the house was renovated, William went to a decent school, and they vacationed twice a year.

Then a new dilemma emerged.
We need a second car, Mabel said, recalling how shed loved driving the first.
Do you think Im no longer fit to be your driver? Edward snapped.

Mabel, shoulders raised, answered, Im being transferred to headquarters, right in the city centre. If you drive me there, youll be stuck in endless traffic.
Fine, Edward sighed, resigned. If we must move, why?

Weve been through this before, Mabel reminded. While the bosses have an eye on you, make the most of what they give you.

Soon the summer camp resurfaced, costing another four hundred pounds. Mabel believed the camp would benefit Williams health, so she transferred the money calmly. Had it been the last sum, she might have understood Edwards furythough it was barely a fraction of her bonus.

Only over a cup of cooling tea did the scattered thoughts finally align.

Envy! Edward finally proclaimed, as if a revelation. Just plain envy! I never rose beyond senior salesman.

For Edward, four hundred pounds was more than half his salary; for Mabel, the sum meant little. In fifteen years hed climbed only one rung. Memories flooded back of Edward demanding Mabel quit and become a housewife, to keep her from outshining him. When the rift seemed unbridgeable, Edward snapped for a reason that ate him from within.

The sudden clatter of a turning key in the lock jolted Mabel from her reverie. It could only be Edward. She leaned back, posture relaxed, and said, Im back.
For my things? she asked.
He glanced down at her with contempt. Im home! Home!
No! Mabel smirked. Youre back for your things! I wont live with you any longer!
Sorry, he muttered, heading for the sofa.
No forgiveness! she snapped. I wont forgive you! Youve said it all. Ive made my decision. I dont need a husband who cant achieve anything, and Im not to blame for earning more than you!

She accused him of blaming her for everything, while she had managed work, home, and William. Youre just tired after work, and you treat it the same as your job. Its irrelevant now. Pack your things and leave!

What, you finally feel mighty? Edward shouted. Everyone knows how you earned those promotions! You, the boss!

The tea had long since gone cold, and the impact was muted. Edward wiped his face. Over the next cup, still warm, Mabel realised that from the start of their relationship Edward had been possessed by a spirit of competition, striving to outdo his wife. The greater the gap, the more it fractured his love. Whether love ever truly existed, she would ponder over another cup.

Perhaps she should not wait for the tea to cool, for a hot brew is always better.