Five Years, A Forged Vow

rey

The words, spoken by a woman who had lingered, now echoed in the deserted c

l, and Brandon just lost it. Ended up spending a night in jail. He's always been so protective of her." She shook her h

ars ago, but he'd said it was for a minor misunderstanding, a case of mistaken identit

nse classes with me, to help me feel safer. He'd said he was "too busy," or "it's not a real threat, Audrey." He'd given me a small pepper spray once,

nder the weight of his casual betrayals. Each new revelation, each whispered memory of him and Kristal, stripped away another

It felt like the heavens were weeping with me. Tears streamed down my face, mingli

klace meant for Kristal, still stung. I had to go back inside, officially ac

A few tournament officials looked at me with sympathetic eyes. I forced a smile, my fac

. Kristal was in the passenger seat, hunched over, looking small and fragile. Brandon' s hand rested protectively on

as g

ad left

joke. The man who was supposed to protect me had just abandoned me, leaving me v

danger he left me in. The storm was getting worse. The thought of the rideshare car, the tin

were so important. He didn

he shoes?" he had asked, his

rfect. The softest leather, a tiny sapphire embedded in the sole, a subtle "something blue" for our reception. They weren't flashy, not lik

randon," I had said, my voic

old things? They look... used. Are you sure you

t joy in planning our formal reception, the one th

drove her away. It was a new pair of white sneakers, which I had just bought and left near the door. The ones I was going to wear tonight,

ked, his brow furrowed in confusion, as if my sentime

g reception. Just a wife.

her hand, was neve

pping with insincere apology. "I didn't mean to take your shoes. I'm just so clumsy." She had even offered to buy

that perfectly blended comfort and subtle elegance. I had envisioned myself dancing in them at our long-await

. But for Kristal, he was a bottomless well of understanding and sympathy. The scales were so

antom hope. This man, the one I had married, the one I had loved, was n

ld I. I was about to open my mouth, to articulate t