The Library Receipt

I was reaching for a book on the top shelf when a yellow library slip fluttered out and landed at

my feet. It was a pickup notification for a book titled "How to Leave Your Partner,"

dated last Tuesday. My heart stopped. Alex had spent all of Tuesday claiming he was "working

late to build our future," but this receipt proved he was spending his time researching

how to end it. I realized I wasn't holding a simple library slip; I was holding his

exit strategy. I sat on the floor, staring at the title. It wasn't just a book; it was a roadmap

for a breakup he was planning while still sleeping in my bed and eating the dinner I cooked.

He hadn't just "found" the book—the slip showed it was a specific hold he had placed weeks