All Mortal Affairs Fade Into Oblivion

My husband has hyperthymesia. He possesses a highly superior autobiographical memory. He can recall the exact weather of a random Tuesday twenty years ago, but he has forgotten my birthday for five consecutive years.

Whenever I brought it up, he would give me a blank look.

Is it coming up? Next week?

My birthday was last week.

I used to joke with my best friend Sasha that even a genius brain had its glitches.

Until the day I was cleaning his study. I found a folder on his desktop named "Health Tracker."

I opened it. It was completely filled with the personal data of a woman named Piper.

Her menstrual cycle was tracked to the exact decimal point. The average was 29.3 days.

Her cramp severity was marked with a red star. Level three, requires painkillers and a heating pad.

Her ovulation window was highlighted in bright red, with a note written right next to it.

She gets emotionally sensitive these days. Watch your tone.

The last update was logged exactly three days ago.

I knew Piper. She was his gym buddy. They went to lift weights together every Wednesday.

I sat on the hardwood floor of his study and read through all thirty seven pages of logs.

Thirty seven months. He never missed a single month.

His hyperthymesia had absolutely no glitches.

The only glitch was my place in his heart.

I didn't scream. I didn't throw a fit. I didn't even cry.

I simply decided to vanish on the very next date he was destined to forget.

"You touched my computer?"

Drew stood in the doorway of the study, a damp gym towel in his hand.

The air smelled faintly of coconut water. It was Piper's favorite post workout drink.

I tossed my cleaning rag into the bucket and stood up.

"I was wiping the desk and bumped the mouse."

Drew frowned slightly.

He took a few quick strides to the computer and glanced at the monitor.

I had already reverted the screen back to the locked desktop.

He quietly let out a sigh of relief. His tone immediately shifted back to his usual casual arrogance.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to touch things in my office?"

"If you lose some of my data, you cannot afford to replace it."

I stared at the side of his face.

Those thirty seven pages of menstrual logs were certainly precious.

Precious enough that he needed to verify the decimals perfectly.

I didn't say a word. I picked up the water bucket and walked out.

As I passed the living room, the smart home speaker on the TV stand suddenly lit up with a blue ring.

The mechanical female voice echoed loudly in the quiet room.

"Linked account 'Piper' syncing smartwatch data."

"Current heart rate 120. You are in the fat burn zone."

"Estimated arrival in the basement parking garage in ten minutes."

I stopped in my tracks.

Drew walked out of the study, drying his hair with the towel while looking right at me.

"Her car is in the shop, so I gave her a ride back," he said.

"She is just grabbing a few clean gym outfits and then she will leave."

He explained it so naturally. There was absolutely no panic in his eyes.

It was as if the smart speaker wasn't announcing the biometric data of another woman, but rather giving the local weather forecast.

I turned around and looked at him.

"Even the backend of our smart home system is linked to her watch?"

Drew paused his towel drying.

"We work out together. Sharing data just keeps us accountable."

"Hazel, please stop obsessing over trivial nonsense all day. If you actually hit the gym, I would link yours too."

I let out a soft laugh.

Last month, my blood sugar plummeted and I passed out on the kitchen floor.

When I finally woke up, I asked him if we could add me as an emergency contact on the smart home hub.

He told me the system was too cluttered and prone to false alarms. He told me to just take better care of my own body.

But now, Piper's heart rate simply goes up a fraction, and the entire house announces her arrival.

"No need," I said, looking away.

Drew seemed very satisfied with my calm reaction.

He walked over and sat on the couch.

"What are we having for dinner? Piper mentioned she wants a lean meal tonight. Just boil some chicken breast for her."

"Add extra black pepper. Her appetite hasn't been great lately."

My fingers tightened their grip on the rim of the plastic bucket.

A specific annotation from those thirty seven pages flashed into my mind.

Day three of ovulation. Appetite decreases. Add heavy spices to her meals.

So his hyperthymesia wasn't just used to memorize dates. It was used to turn him into her personal caretaker.

"I didn't buy chicken," I said.

Drew frowned.

"Isn't there some left in the fridge?"

"It expired. I threw it out."

His face darkened instantly.

"Hazel, what exactly is your problem lately?"

"Piper is just coming over for a quick dinner. Do you really need to give us attitude?"

"Are you still throwing a tantrum and finding reasons to start drama just because I forgot your birthday last month?"

I looked at his self righteous face.

It had been five years. Every single time he forgot my birthday, he would gaslight me to cover up his own guilt.

I used to feel wronged. I used to argue.

Now, I was just completely exhausted.

The doorbell rang.

Drew kept a cold expression as he walked over to open the door.

Piper stood in the hallway wearing a skin tight yoga set, holding two cups of iced milk tea.

"Hey Hazel, sorry for crashing your night!"

She smiled sweetly. There was a thin layer of glistening sweat on her forehead.

"Drew told me you make the best healthy dinners, so I shamelessly came over to beg for food."

Drew took the drinks from her hands.

"She didn't cook anything. She said she threw the chicken out."

Piper blinked in surprise, but the look she shot me contained a very clear hint of knowing triumph.

"Oh no, is Hazel mad at me?"

"I told you, Drew! If you spend every day lifting weights with me, your wife is going to get jealous."

She playfully swatted Drew on the shoulder.

"This is all your fault. You only remember my stats, but you can't even keep track of the groceries in your own fridge."

Drew didn't show a single ounce of annoyance at her physical touch.

He turned to look at me, his tone shifting into a direct command.

"Go downstairs to the supermarket and buy some right now. It is still open."

I set the water bucket down on the floor. A few drops splashed onto my slippers.

"If you want to eat, buy it yourself."

Drew looked utterly furious.

Piper immediately grabbed his arm to hold him back.

"Never mind, never mind. Drew, let's just order delivery."

"Hazel must be so tired from doing chores around the house all day. Let's not force her."

She deliberately emphasized the word "chores."

In her mind, I was just a woman with no identity. I was just a live in maid meant to serve Drew.

Drew let out a cold scoff.

"What is she tired from? She sits around the house all day and can't even manage a simple dinner."

I watched them standing in the entryway. They looked exactly like a married couple sharing an inside joke.

I turned around and walked toward the bedroom.

"Do whatever you want."

Early the next morning, I received a call from the hospital.

My father's attending doctor told me the next round of his targeted therapy medication needed to be paid for.

Four thousand dollars.

I opened my banking app, ready to use the joint debit card linked to our shared emergency fund.

We usually kept our finances separate. We only touched this specific account for major family emergencies.

I typed in the password. A notification popped up on the screen.

Insufficient funds.

I froze.

I clicked into the transaction history.

Yesterday afternoon at three o'clock, someone swiped exactly four thousand and five hundred dollars.

The vendor was a high end outdoor sports boutique.

I stared at the screen for a very long time.

My chest felt like it was stuffed with wet cotton. It was so heavy I couldn't breathe.

I dialed Drew's number.

It rang for a long time before he finally picked up.

The background noise was loud. The distinct clanking of heavy iron plates.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice slightly out of breath.

"Where is the money from our emergency fund?" I asked.

The line went quiet for a second.

"Oh. Piper has a trail running race next month. Her gear needed a major upgrade."

"She is tight on cash right now, so I fronted it for her."

The knuckles of the hand gripping my phone turned completely white.

"Drew, that is my dad's medical money."

He clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Why are you calling it medical money? Your dad's condition is chronic. A few days won't make a difference."

"Piper's race is next week. The gear cannot wait."

"I will put the money back next week when my bonus hits. Why are you panicking?"

I listened to his casual, dismissive tone.

My father's life saving medication was somehow less important than a set of trail running gear for his gym buddy.

"Transfer the money back to me." My voice was quiet, but absolutely rigid.

"Right now."

Drew lost his temper.

"Hazel, do you not understand English?"

"I said I will put it back in a few days. Do you have to ruin the mood right now?"

"Piper is standing right next to me. Can you give me a little bit of respect?"

Before I could say another word, Piper's voice drifted through the speaker.

"Drew, is that Hazel?"

"Oh my gosh, please don't fight with her. I told you I didn't need you to cover it. Hazel is going to get the wrong idea."

"Hazel, please don't be mad. Treat this as a loan. I will pay you back as soon as I finish the race and win the prize money."

Her words sounded so reasonable on the surface.

But every single syllable was designed to show off the fact that Drew was willing to drop thousands of dollars on her without a second thought.

Drew immediately chimed in.

"Don't listen to her, Piper. She is probably just hitting early menopause. Always starting drama over nothing."

He hung up.

The phone line went dead, leaving only the dial tone echoing in my ear.

I stood in the hospital corridor, looking out the window at the gloomy, overcast sky.

I took a deep breath and paid for the medication using my private savings account.

That money was supposed to cover my half of the mortgage next month.

After paying the bill, I walked into the hospital room.

My mother was peeling an apple for my dad.

She quickly stood up when she saw me.

"Hazel, honey. Why are you here today? Where is Drew?"

"He is busy at work." I forced a smile onto my face.

My dad lay in the bed, his face pale and sunken.

"Drew works hard. You need to be understanding. It is not easy for a man to build a career."

"As long as you two are happy, I have nothing to worry about."

I looked into my dad's cloudy, tired eyes. My throat felt like it was lined with broken glass.

"I know, Dad."

I stayed at the hospital for the entire afternoon before taking the subway home.

I pushed the front door open. The living room lights were blazing.

Drew was sitting on the couch playing a video game.

Piper was wearing a brand new, elite trail running outfit. She was posing in front of the full length floor mirror, taking selfies with her phone.

It was the exact gear paid for by my father's medical money.

When Piper saw me walk in, she lowered her phone and walked over with a bright smile.

"Hey Hazel! How is your dad doing?"

"Drew said older people are prone to minor aches and pains, and told me not to stress too much about it."

I stared at the gear she was wearing.

Premium fabric. A perfectly tailored fit.

"Take it off," I said flatly.

The air in the living room instantly froze.

Drew threw his controller onto the couch and stood up, walking toward us.

"Hazel, what kind of crazy episode are you having now?"

I didn't even look at him. I kept my eyes locked on Piper.

"That outfit was bought using my emergency debit card. Take it off."

Piper's face shifted. She instinctively took a step back, hiding behind Drew's shoulder.

"Drew, what does she mean?"

"Does she just hate looking at me?"

Drew immediately shielded Piper behind his back.

"Hazel, stop embarrassing yourself."

"My money is in that joint account too. I can spend it on whoever I want."

"You eat my food and live in my house, and now you are nickel and diming me?"

I stared into his completely self righteous eyes.

Every single month, I deposited exactly half of my paycheck into that account.

I paid the down payment on this house. We split the mortgage equally.

Yet in his mind, I was just a freeloader eating his food and living under his roof.

"Drew, did your hyperthymesia make you forget your conscience too?"

His face went rigid. He raised his hand, pointing a finger right at my face.

Piper quickly reached out and pushed his arm down.

"Stop arguing, please! This is all my fault."

"Hazel, I will just give the clothes back to you. Please don't be mad at Drew."

She reached for the zipper of the jacket.

Drew grabbed her hand to stop her.

"Do not take it off. I want to see who dares to touch you today."

He turned his head, glaring at me with pure venom.

"Hazel, you need to learn your place."

After that night, Drew initiated a one sided cold war for three days.

He didn't speak a word to me. He even slept in the study.

On the afternoon of the fourth day, I was out on the balcony bringing the laundry in.

He walked through the front door, holding a glossy, premium jewelry catalog in his hand.

He walked up behind me and tossed the thick booklet onto the coffee table.

"This necklace suits her, don't you think?"

I stopped folding the clothes and turned around.

The catalog was opened to a specific page. It displayed a gorgeous, five figure diamond necklace.

Tomorrow was our fifth wedding anniversary.

For a split second, my mind played a trick on me.

I genuinely thought he had finally remembered the date, even if his delivery was still incredibly arrogant.

"It's alright," I said quietly.

Drew nodded in satisfaction.

"Piper's trail race finishes tomorrow. She said she is aiming for a top spot on the podium."

"This is her victory gift. She has a long, elegant neck. It will look beautiful on her."

The hand holding the plastic hanger froze in midair.

The warmth drained out of my fingertips. An icy chill rushed through my veins, settling deep into my heart.

It wasn't an anniversary gift.

It was Piper's victory reward.

I looked at Drew.

His head was down, carefully studying the carat weight of the diamond on the page.

"Drew, do you have any idea what tomorrow is?" I asked.

He didn't even look up.

"Piper's victory dinner. The race finishes at two in the afternoon. I booked a table at that upscale steakhouse for four."

"Oh, right. Just figure out your own dinner at home. I won't be back to eat."

He said it so casually.

His hyperthymesia allowed him to remember the weather twenty years ago. It allowed him to perfectly track Piper's menstrual cycle.

But it completely erased the day we signed our marriage license.

"Okay," I said.

Drew finally looked up at me.

He seemed slightly surprised that I wasn't throwing a tantrum this time.

"Glad you finally learned how to behave. I will transfer that money back to your card in a couple of days."

"Stop staring at the bank accounts like a miserable housewife."

He picked up the catalog and walked back into his study.

I stood on the balcony, watching the pedestrians strolling along the sidewalk below.

The wind blowing against my face carried the sharp chill of late autumn.

I turned around, walked into the bedroom, and pulled a small, twenty inch black suitcase from the bottom of the closet.

I unzipped it.

The inside was completely empty.

I started placing things inside, one by one.

Two sets of clean clothes. A few basic skincare items. My passport and ID.

I picked up my jewelry box.

Inside sat the two carat diamond ring Drew bought me when he proposed.

He had said, "Hazel, my memory is too perfect. So I am going to carve my promise to you into my brain, and I will never, ever forget."

I looked at the ring, then gently snapped the velvet lid shut.

I left it right there on the vanity.

I didn't need it anymore.

By the time I finished, the suitcase was barely half full.

After five years of marriage, this was the only amount of life I was taking with me.

That night, Drew came out of the study to get a glass of water.

When he saw me sitting quietly on the couch, he frowned.

"Why are you acting so weird and passive aggressive these last few days?"

"I am just buying Piper a necklace. She works hard to survive in this city on her own."

"You are my wife. Can't you be a little more gracious about this?"

I didn't look up at him.

"I am not being ungracious."

Drew scoffed.

The phone in his pocket vibrated.

He immediately pulled it out. The glow of the screen illuminated a subtle, genuine smile spreading across his lips.

I didn't know what Piper texted him, but he didn't even bother drinking his water. He turned right around and hurried back into the study.

Early the next morning.

Drew put on his bespoke gray suit.

It was the suit he reserved exclusively for meeting his most vital corporate clients.

Today, he was wearing it to attend Piper's victory lunch.

He stood in the entryway putting on his dress shoes.

"I am heading out. Don't wait up for me tonight."

I stood in the center of the living room, staring at his back.

"Drew," I called out.

He looked back over his shoulder, his eyes flashing with raw impatience.

"What now?"

"Take the trash out on your way down," I said.

He paused, then let out a sharp, mocking laugh.

"Hazel, you are completely out of your mind."

But he still picked up the black trash bag sitting by the door.

The front door slammed shut.

I looked at the clock hanging on the wall.

Eight in the morning.

I walked into the bedroom and grabbed the handle of my black suitcase.

I placed my house keys on the glass coffee table, right underneath that glossy jewelry catalog.

I took one final look around the apartment I had lived in for five years.

"Make sure you lock the door."

I whispered the words to myself in my mind.

At eleven in the morning, I pulled my suitcase into the hospital.

My dad had just finished his IV drip. He looked slightly more energetic.

My mom jumped in surprise when she saw me rolling a piece of luggage into the room.

"Hazel? What is going on? Why do you have a suitcase?"

I pushed the suitcase behind the door and forced a bright smile onto my face.

"The company is sending me on a business trip out of state for a few days. It was super last minute, so I just dropped by to see you guys before heading to the airport."

My mom looked skeptical.

"A business trip? Does Drew know?"

"Yeah, he knows. He is just slammed at work today, so he couldn't drop me off."

I sat down on the edge of the bed and gently held my dad's frail, thin hand.

"Dad, make sure you take your medicine. The doctor said if we stick to the plan, your levels will drop."

My dad nodded with a weak, laboured breath.

"Don't worry about me. Take care of yourself. Since you are traveling, remember to eat on time."

A sharp, painful ache hit the back of my throat.

I fought back the tears. I pulled a bank card out of my purse and pressed it into my mother's hand.

"Mom, there is fifteen thousand dollars on this card. The pin is my birthday."

"Keep it. Use it for Dad's medical bills and whatever supplements he needs. Don't be stingy with it."

My mother desperately tried to push the card back.

"What are you doing? Your father and I have our pensions. We don't need your money."

"You and Drew have a life to build. Things are expensive. Take it back right now."

I forcefully shoved the card into her coat pocket.

"Mom, I earned this money myself. It has absolutely nothing to do with Drew."

"Keep it. It makes me feel safe knowing you have it."

I stayed at the hospital until one in the afternoon.

Terrified that if I stayed a minute longer I would break down crying, I made up an excuse and left.

Sitting in the back of a taxi heading to the airport, I watched the familiar city streets blurring past the window.

My phone vibrated in my palm.

It was a screenshot of an Instagram post, sent to me by a mutual friend.

In the photo, Piper was wearing that pristine trail running outfit. Resting beautifully against her collarbone was the five figure diamond necklace.

She was smiling radiantly. Drew stood right beside her, looking down at her with absolute, undivided focus.

The caption read: The ultimate race reward. Thanks to my perfect partner. @Drew

In the comments section, Drew had replied with a red heart emoji.

I stared at that photo.

That look of total devotion used to belong exclusively to me.

Now, it had found a new owner.

I closed the app and powered my phone completely off.

The airport intercom began broadcasting the final boarding call for my flight.

I scanned my ticket, walked through security, and didn't look back once.

In this tragic three person movie, I was always cast as the extra.

Today, I was voluntarily writing myself out of the script.

The moment the plane lifted off the runway, I looked down at the shrinking city below.

A single tear finally rolled down my cheek.

I cried for the five years of my youth, and the pieces of my heart I had blindly thrown to the dogs.