She Built Him, Then She Destroyed

Aceved

g the skin at the corners of my mouth. The tears continued to fall, hot and silent

ance. He took a step toward me, his hand outstretched as if to offer a

half by the shrill, insis

d chime I' d never heard before. He glanced at the scre

d into the phone, his

rman! It's Dale! He's been arrested! They're saying it's fraud... somet

-old kid with a chip on his shoulder and

" he demanded, his political composure shattering into raw panic. He was alread

she sobbed. "They said... they

on the knob, ready to bolt.

I whispered, the w

, his ba

oor, Harman." My voice was stro

trom of fear and fury. "This is no

finance fraud, isn't it? Illegal donations funneled through a shell c

how to set up those accounts, how to navigate the gray areas of campaign finance l

a step back toward me, his eyes pleading. "You're the only one who

ry essence of my value, to save his mistress.

ago. The screech of tires on wet pavement. The horrific crunch of metal. The smell of gasoline and rain. My brother, Le

ad covered for him. I had lied to the police. I had told them a deer had run out into the ro

er of old pain in my

s voice hardening. "Don't fall apart on m

my life, as leverage. He was telling me that

memory, my career, my heart. The love didn't just die. It turned to

r me, so profound

it?" I asked, my vo

hope dawning in his eye

d sharp as a shard of glass from our

't see what was in my eyes. He didn't unde

your career, and your pathetic little romance

-