Chapter 14
Dec 25, 2025
Woman: What’s the passcode on your phone?
Boy 1: Why?
Woman: Fuck, why is there even a passcode on your phone?
Boy 1: Because you went through it.
Woman: Can’t your wife look—
Boy 1: You didn’t look. You went through it. Through everything. Calls. Messages. Facebook. KakaoTalk. You deleted my emails.
Woman: So you put a passcode on it?
Boy 1: To stop you playing with it.
Woman: Playing with it.
Boy 1: Yes. Playing. You move my icons. You change the fonts. You delete photos. You add backgrounds. It’s my phone. Leave it alone.
Woman: I always did that before.
Boy 1: And I always hated it.
Silence.
Woman: Why now?
Boy 1: Why what?
Woman: Why the passcode now?
Boy 1: Why did you start checking it now?
Woman: Because you’ve been acting suspicious. Your phone never leaves your hand. You close conversations when I’m near you.
Boy 1: Then don’t look over my shoulder.
Woman: You put it on silent. At night it’s face down next to your head.
Boy 1: What’s your point?
Woman: What’s going on?
Another silence. He doesn’t answer.
Woman: I have my test in less than a month. I need you now. More than ever.
Boy 1: I’ve always supported you.
Woman: That doesn’t count if you don’t support me when it matters.
Boy 1: That means nothing? All the years I worked? All the money I earned? I clean this house. I look after your mother. I’m the husband and the wife. And that means nothing?
Woman: I didn’t say that.
Boy 1: You just did.
Woman: I said now. If you distract me now — if you act like this now — how does that help? Don’t you want all the stuff you’ve done to mean something? You have to finish the job.
He exhales.
Boy 1: I’ll take the passcode off.
She doesn’t move.
Woman: Who’s Red?
The name lands.
Boy 1: I told you. She’s just some girl from a bar. We were watching rugby. She put her hand on my knee. She texted me a few times. I shouldn’t have texted back. Do we really have to go through this again?
Woman: Delete her number.
Boy 1: Okay. I will.
Woman: Now.
He taps the screen.
Boy 1: Done.
Woman: Good.
A beat.
Boy 1: I only put the passcode on because you were messing with my phone.
Woman: I’m your wife. I can look at your phone. We’re supposed to trust each other. A passcode isn’t trust.
Boy 1: Neither is going through someone’s phone.
Woman: I just wanted to look at some pictures I took.
Boy 1: In my email account?
He stops himself.
Boy 1: Okay. I don’t want to fight. I’ll take the passcode off. I deleted her number.
She looks at him. Long enough to make it clear this isn’t over.