You Lost Me, Desmond Vaughn

elled of rosem

roasting in the oven. The clock read 6:47 PM. Forty-three minutes until her husband was due home, fort

s herself because tomorrow was their fifth anniversary, and somewhere beneath the layers of ice

e ye

tic glances at charity events. Poor Genevieve can't give him an he

high, returned home to an empty bed and a husband

e her believe their forced union could blossom into something real. He brought her flowers, held he

came back and ev

rning, Mrs. Vaughn. The likelih

ght, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. He hadn't looked at her for three d

lames

e saw it in the way he pulled away from her touch. Heard it in the clipped respo

cruelties. A sigh at the dinner table, pointed comment about a friend's new grandchil

ir, Genevieve. Surely you und

she was a failure. A wife who couldn't do

had cried enough in the shower, in the bathroom, at parties and in the darkness

ress he used to compliment. Lit candles and dimmed the lights. She would remind him of who they use

oorbel

wouldn't ring the bell, he had his own key. She wi

looking envelope in his hand. "Delivery fo

sign f

ma'am. This is mar

tuttered. "W

label. "St. Catheri

ted. The same clinic that had delivered

my husband.

number, voicemail. She

ot answering. Can y

ed. "Ma'am, I re

ghn. You can note that I acce

then relented.

ted the envelope,

that why he's

sland. Her hands were shaking. The lamb was almost ready, eve

ened it

ages, blood test results. She flipped through the pages, confusio

first page. Patient: Olive Morr

, Genevieve grip

e Mor

d of one of Desmond's business photos, draped across h

d gotten anothe

nceive. She had endured years of shame and Isabella's cold disapproval.

eel anything lower than she

rbell ra

s to move, opened the doo

g package. The one I gave you is meant for

hollow. "There is no other M

face went pal

"Because the name on this report is Olive Morrison. Sh

instructed to send it here,

ed to sen

wanted her

ed. It had to

ack to the kitchen. The lamb was still roasting and the

und image. At the tiny lif

e let hersel

arrived a

table was set and the candles were burning low. His wife was sitting in

't eat," h

up at him. "Who

mond froze. For a moment, the mask cracked. She s

back. "Where did

om St. Catherine's. You're going to b

white. "You o

d. "While I was here and I was trying. While I was

eviev

n. I've been humiliated and blamed. I've been made to

voice was low. Defensive. "

lence was

nant. It's done. The child i

ughed-a broken soun

responsib

Her voice rose. "I gave

be announc

rrow, Desmond? Tomorrow that'

elling me that tomorrow on our anniversary,

a long moment. The

tomorrow at the anniversary party.

ical blow. She stumbled back,

"You're going to make me stand there and smile

end. It would be... unc

mfort

and everything she had sacrificed. And

er of hope in

ietly. "I shouldn't attend.

hoed against the marble floor. He

e paused. Her pho

er husband announce another woman's pre

his new family and tomorrow,

he needed to