Have an adequate life
Petunia Evans’ plan was almost done. She only had a couple of things left to do; leave a note to her fiance, Vernon Dursley, telling him her decision to leave him, pack her things into the car she had bought, quit her job at the factory, and drive up north from Surrey to her new house.
No big deal.
It’s not as if her two year long plan was at the last steps, and everything could go completely wrong.
No, absolutely not!
The risk of Vernon finding her when she had left was small, and frankly, she did not think he’d actually care that much. He had stopped acknowledging her about two years ago, when he had proposed to her.
That is around the same time as Petunia started noticing his behavior. Vernon had acted strange the two months leading up to the engagement. He had stayed at ‘work’ longer, and Petunia had noticed a lipstick in Vernons car that wasn’t hers. It was not even the shade she used. After that there was a woman who called their landline some days after the engagement when Vernon was at work.
Petunia had, of course, picked up the phone and on the other line was a woman whose voice she did not recognize.
“Is this Ms. Evans?” the other woman had asked.
“Yes,” Petunia had answered, and then, “who is it I’m talking with?”
“My name is Abigail Lee,” the woman said, “I believe you know Vernon Dursley?” That had surprised Petunia, Vernon had not mentioned an Abigail Lee before.
“Yes, I do, he’s my fiance…” she said slowly, almost saying it as a question.
“Oh, I thought so,” Abigail had sounded sad when she said that, as if she had hoped that Petunia didn’t know Vernon.
Abigail had then talked and talked about how she was so sorry, and she didn’t know that Vernon had another girlfriend until yesterday. She told Petunia how she had overheard Vernon talking to his coworkers about how he proposed to his girlfriend, and Abigail had come to the conclusion that he had cheated on that girlfriend, or fiance now, with her. Then she had apologised another time, and it sounded like she was crying.
Petunia had assured her that she didn’t have to apologise, and that she didn’t blame her at all. She told Abigail that the only one at fault here was Vernon.
Then for the next three hours they had made up a plan.
Petunia would save half of the money she earned from the factory, and buy a car, and a house further north. They counted multiple times and came to the conclusion that it would take two years for her to save enough.
And now she was almost done.
***
Petunia was at the factory where she worked. She stepped out of her car and straightened her dress. She was gonna go up to her boss' office, and complete the last step of her plan, before driving to her new little house.
Petunia walked up the stairs and into the building, turned left and took the winding staircase that led up to the offices for the higher ups.
When she reached Mr. Smiths office she brought her hand up and knocked on his door.
“Yes?” asked a voice from inside the office.
“I scheduled a meeting with mr. Smith?” she answer.
“Come in.”
Petunia opened the door, stepped inside and looked at mr. Smith, who gestured to a chair on the opposite side of his grey desk.
She sat down in the chair and tried to ignore the intense smell of cigarettes.
“What did you want to discuss?” mr. Smith asked, and then, with a loud laugh added, “I hope it’s not that you want a promotion.” Petunia smiled stiffly, she didn’t understand why he thought that was a necessary comment.
“I want to quit.”
“You- you what?”
“I quit.”
“Why do you quit?” he asked indignantly.
“Because I’m moving away from Surrey. Today.”
“Okay, but you do understand that means you don’t get your pay this week?”
“Yes, I understand that.” Petunia was starting to get really tired of this man. But she sat through the whole meeting, arguing back and forth about why she should be able to quit, at that exact moment.
When the meeting was done and she was officially unemployed, Petunia went out to her car and began to drive north-east.
***
She had stopped on her way to her new home to buy groceries, so when she arrived at the little house it was already late afternoon.
Petunia looked up at the two story house, with her grocery bag in hand and a smile on her face. She let out a relieved laugh when she remembered the note that she had left for Vernon on the kitchen table with her engagement ring.
Goodbye Vernon.
Abigail told me everything, and I have decided to call off our engagement.
I have moved, and taken everything that is rightfully mine with me.
Have an adequate life.
-Petunia Evans