My Husband, The Stranger

chair back from

ace," he said, his voice calm and re

e was so good at playing the victim, the reasonable one. His leaving was j

atmosphere in the room changed. The fake g

and dangerous. He stood up and walked around

e. You embarrassed hi

assed," I shot back, tilting my ch

when he

digging into my skin. It happened so fast I didn't

s from mine. "I don't know what kind of game you

ver laid a hand on me in anger. Tears welled in my ey

hing over. She tried to pull his ha

, Mary! This has go

my mom begged, her face wet with tea

me back toward the chair. I stumbled,

nt later, holding something in her hands. It was an ol

trembling. She opened it to

arm around my waist, was the man who called himself Ethan. His f

er his clumsy corsage, the way he smelled of cheap cologn

aring at the picture.

s a picture from twenty years ago. You

ificate was one thing, but this? This was a piece of my past,

y hand. Her touch felt cold. "Ethan loves you so much, Ava. He's a good man. A wonderful husband. He

ir words felt like chains, trying to lock me into this false reality. They

The pain in my arm, the impossible pho

pair so strong it al

ay here. I co

ir back so hard it scraped

I said, my voice

, and toward the front door. I didn't look back. I co

away from the lies and the pain, a fugitive