My Cruel Choice, His Silent Death

d on our kitchen floor, ga

, Bryant, was drunk and whining about a sprained arm,

e on the cold tiles. He

adoration he'd held for me for five years

e said, his voice devoid of em

ver known for granted, treating him as a placeh

oment, I had finally k

He's in Paris, thriving with a new resta

ashes of my mistakes, beginning a

pte

Collin

ament to a life I no longer recognized

Sarah, clear

e you sure about

voice steady, betraying none

a desperate attempt to outrun the ghost of a

o

ound, fresh despite

with a quiet, devastating whimper

for me, not in th

imply...

eginning to under

I' d forged against

cool metal a stark con

familiar, bold,

as m

ime, it wa

as g

w life, a new restaura

hou

h, pushing the signed document

sked, her voice l

n the cityscape outside m

elow, once a source of

To P

econd I wasted taki

ere

ade sure

one b

blocked

old habit, a toxic pull I t

ya

as a bitter tas

verything, in my desperate, twisted att

dn't

did seem

red th

ang

ag

escaped

its die

ant?" I answered, my v

captivating, now

business deal gone wrong, an

eraged every contact, to disma

e, my twisted of

Emily!" he whined. "

a wave of wearines

" I asked, my

I messed up. Big time. I nee

w tig

g, he still saw me as his

ryant," I said, my vo

e click of th

n my office w

gain, staring at the end

t to my ambition

lonel

d this space, this

mth, with laughter, with

lled it w

sly discarded, like

y echoes

ife I could n

d tr

w I had

n impenetrable fortr

ll of adoration, now

st, empty

pushed him to the brink

all, I had f

y, desolate landsca

e buzze

blocke

n't a

oul

anym

eft to salvage, not

taste of "too li