Cruel Summer

health. You change the soil in the flower pot, add fresh manure, cut off the dying parts, water and tend for it continuously, day-in-day-out. When it sprouts a fresh leaf, you're hap

t dies at last and you're le

always out working late, and when he eventually came home he feigned tired to even eat my food, bringing more work with him and shut himself away in the dining room which

noticed he was in a Back-off mode. He'd insisted I moved into his swanky penthouse a few months after we met to further strengthen our relationship, and I'd been living there for three years. My friends had teased me endlessly about having a sugar daddy given the t

way home from work to purchase the condiments I'd use in making one of his favorite meals, and a bottle of his favorite red label. I even got flowers and scented candles for the table - to give the evening a romantic atmosphere. I planned to

short dress I was wearing, and looked over my shou

into shreds. It wasn't the reaction I'd anticipated. And what was worse wa

we

or once. I've made Chicken Divan, just the way you like it. Why don't you go up and shower and we can have it together..." I droned on, babbling and fighting back tears at the reality of what was about to happen. I didn't want

bullshit. My shoulders sagged in r

ome deadly sexually-transmitted disease that he'd unknowingly passed on to me and wanted to tell me about it

g table, and kept hold of his hand as we sat ac

towards the table. I sat still, bracing myself for the blow as he sw

t someon

d tilt as I struggled to process what I'd just heard. "You.

r for a drink five weeks ago and now she wants more. And I want more too. With her, of course

was now a stranger, someone I didn't know at all. "So...what you're saying is

shoulders lifting in his perfectly polished suit. "And yes we're over. This thing with Tessa, it start

sorry for it. Well then fuck you. Fuck you for sticking your dick down some whore while I was feeling sorry for you being tired and stressed about your job. I bet she's the reason you looked worn out when you come home every evening beca

eat less to avoid growing overweight, and when I'd stopped using my waist trainer he'd complained my waist was filling out. But I didn't want to lo

ly enough, we still hadn't picked a date for t

e

e off his chest and skittered on the kitchen floor, spi

pack my

ou go? You've

est seep the last drop of life in my heart, replacing it with ash and stone. I needed to cli

slamming the door so loudly th

back for the rest once I decided the next step to take for my life. But for now, I just needed to

ag was ready, I

spering over the phone. I wondered if he was inviting his new girlf

m ready to come to tak

e and gave me a curt n

as the only thing the g

I wished for some sort of miracle to make him realize what he

bit chilly tonight and dressed in a rapidly dampening threadbare dress I'd worn to turn him on, I shivered as I waited, trying to kee

and climbed in after it. Hunched in the back seat,

asked the driver

own out of, where I'd always be welcomed, where I knew I'

's p