Our entire clan was set to embark on a group holiday, but when Mallory, my spouse's longtime companion, caught wind of our plans, she begged to tag along. Without hesitation, Henry revoked my flight reservation and handed it to her instead, leaving me with a cramped seat on a 36-hour train journey.
I glanced at my husband's parents, and to my astonishment, they all backed his choice. So, I reluctantly accepted the arrangement—I took the train ticket and headed westward. I ended up staying away for a quarter of a year, throwing the whole family into disarray.