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Her eyes grow wide with confusion and then she looks back down at the page, scanning across it.
“Why would you offer me this? It’s—Yefim, this salary is too high.”
“It’s not. You’re doing an excellent job on every project I give you.”
“All I have to do is quit one of my jobs?”
“Correct.”
She continues to stare at the contract, muttering to herself, “But with this amount, I could pay off a large sum of my debt.”
I stay quiet, waiting for her to sign the document. I know she is struggling with debt and the stress of it. I want to take that stress away for her and give her some kind of freedom from it.
She looks up again, shaking her head at me.
“What is the problem, Tia?”
“Why would you do this?”
“Because I want you fully focused on the right things, and your side jobs are nothing but a distraction at this point.”
The right things being me.
Biting her lip, she picks up the pen on her desk and scribbles her signature at the bottom of the contract.
“I’ll quit the dog walking,” she confirms with confidence.
“And the editing?”
“Not the editing. Not yet.”
“Why not, Tia? You don’t need to be wasting time on that,” I say, getting angry. I don’t ever get to see her. I can’t explain to her that's the reason I hate her working so many jobs. But between the studying, working and extra jobs, I never get to spend time with her, and that’s all I want to do.
She’s constantly in my thoughts. I always want to know where she is and what she’s doing. Sometimes I follow her to class and wait outside her lecture hall just to make sure she’s ok. I want to be around her, but not having to secretly follow her everywhere. I want proper time with her.
“It’s not a waste of time, Yefim. That job still pays well, and it will help me pay off my debts even faster if I have the extra income coming in.”
“Tia, I need you here in the office. The more time you spend there, the less you have here.”
She stares at me in defiance.
I pick up the signed contract and shake my head. At least I’ve gotten her to stop that stupid dog-walking job. I honestly thought she would jump at the chance to leave both of her sidejobs. I made sure that the money I offered in the salary increase allowed for it.
I am both annoyed and impressed because most girls would have wanted to stop working altogether if they could, but she keeps pushing on. She isn’t scared of putting time and effort into what she wants.
But I also hate the fact that she isn’t doing what she’s told.
I am her husband, and she is supposed to obey me.
I clench my jaw as I march back to my own office, determined to make a show of letting her know that she needs to quit the other job.
I just have to figure out how to do that.
***
Later that afternoon, Tia comes into my office to deliver a completed project.
“How did it go?” I ask as she hands me the binder.
