SWEET VENGEANCE

days since Vanessa f

h his elaborate script-pretending everything was fine, pretending

of her lips. Nodded at his weekend plans with his "team." She even laughed at

Vanessa wa

ne. Every slip of his tongue when he mentioned a "colle

he was a maze of lies, and she w

ttle. Vanessa sat beside him with a book, pretending to read, while watching his fing

, she rose without sound and wa

s phone. That would be t

of instinct, not expectation. There was a single

ee shop

erence" w

pt back perfectly and re

Her breath didn't falter

n stirring his whiskey, the ice clinking

lately," he said wi

a shrug, setting down the win

ight help," he added, and she wondered if

dded. "May

thought he saw something different in her-a shi

nothing. He

hat cowa

filled with thoughts she could never voice. But in it, sh

es I'll wait, forgive, or forget. But I've studied s

mes, places, details. Not t

he version where he was the hero. The man who strayed because sh

es he'd tell once it all

believe in re

as no longer hers. He had made that choice in quie

aimed he'd be working late

s nearly empty. Hi

ut hands clenched. She didn't know where

follow. She d

shower. Lit a candle. And s

mbered like glass that had been cleaned

his attention, who had stayed hopeful, w

one star

angry. Sh

reel-each frame perfectly normal on the

e. Her posture never slouched. Her words were graceful, never rash. In so

statue learni

ingly, even she almost believed it. He kept his hand on her thigh under the table. Called her "babe" like he

story of their trip to Morocco. Vane

ted just slightly, as if she sensed the performanc

After all, she had n

anessa coul

em. Mark's snores filled the room like waves

reading po

tract of endurance. Her favorite lines weren't about lo

avender candles burned down to nothing. She let herself ima

cry. She

ng to the throb of her own he

it became her escape. She stayed late. Took extra client meetings. Hosted strategy sessi

t admired her ideas. Celebrated h

t like

, Claire, once commented, "I

should build your own version. Not min

a walked into her dressi

The cocktail dresses. The jewelry. All the pieces she use

eir fifth anniversary dinner. The night she'd toasted

a hit her, but

done in a while: she pulled out

: "Things I F

starte

at

ing on

erry s

ay m

tared at that last

r: The quiet before b

late," Vanessa drove aimlessly. She didn't want t

arms wrapped around each other, the kind of closen

e her feel

as ch

ken. No

. waki