Rebuilding Life, Far Away

o darkness. She lay in their bed, the sheets cold on the side where Ethan should have been. He hadn't come to bed at all. T

you both! You give the rest of us hope! Can't wait to see what the next five years bring! Each message was a fresh stab of pain. They saw a perfect marriage, a fairy tale. They didn't see th

d bring her coffee at 2 a.m. when she was studying for her licensing exams. She remembered the day he sold his first major piece, and they danced around their tiny apartment, drunk on cheap wine and happines

droom door made her ju

g the comforter ar

ed, his eyes red-rimmed, but his expressio

this," he said, his voi

y recording. "I can't wait anymore. Just g

s vague, warped, but it was meant to sound like Liam. I

e asked, her voice

id. "It's a recording of a voicemail Liam left for you

d, scrambling out of bed. "Ethan, liste

newed anger. "It sounds like him to me. It sound

own phone. "I'm calling him. I'm putting

ing so badly she could barely press the s

oomed through the speaker. "I was just about to ca

ave a strange question for you. Have you...

es voicemails anymore? I think the last one I left you was two

she started, but

"Liam, did you or did you not tell my wi

you talking about, Ethan? Is this a joke? Because it's

ion," Ethan said, his

wrong with you?" Liam sounde

ond, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. But then his face hardene

an said. "He's had a lo

ed!" she pleaded, following him as he walked ou

ir so strong it almost buckled her knees. He was so convinced, so

t the wall. When he switched on the light, she didn't flinch. He looked disheveled, and as he walked past

hirt, was a faint, almost invisible smudge of pink. A lipstick mark. It was the exact

ntom she couldn't fight. But this... this was real. This was a physical trace of another woman, his ex-girlfriend, on his body, in their hom