The Truth Set Her Free
ong shadows across the living
f the plush sofa, the fab
, broken only by the quiet hum of
eticulously managed for two years, a
was all
, was a man who v
tech firm, a charismatic exe
a stable, respectable union that look
his performance, and Eleanor, a talented arc
itions, trading her drafting table for a din
the mantelpiece, a picture of he
uld see the emptiness in his eyes, the
ut he was never
and the memories of her p
earing, vivid reality she was
fe already, all the w
wife, raising their two children, managing h
artner to his success, th
hen h
ing heart attac
Eleanor had begun to sort through his be
ifetime of secrets, a collection of letters and
love with anoth
dhood sw
maintained a hidden
ed her secretly, and loved her with a p
e, her entire life
ng, it was all a carefully constructed st
physical thing, a crushing weight t
r will to live extinguished by
she had
rlife, but here, in this cold house, b
with the ghost of a twenty-
s to wear off, replaced
ot let it h
des of her life as a supporting char
he would liv
e front door lock snappe
was
g his briefcase onto
e, his movements s
his voice flat, a sim
ed to him, taken his coat, asked abou
anxious to please, despera
she remai
eplied, her tone ju
of surprise crossing
to her fawni
a disruption to th
t her for the first time that da
ing wrong?
, offering a simple, d
m as he moved
stranger
was filtered through the le
smile, the calculation in hi
ent, making sure the perfect w
hen and came back w
t offer
ever
ances, a detail she'd onl
riage, he was already sending money to Ch
, it was all funded by Liam, by the money he earned
a jolt of cold
pposite her, the space betwee
his eyes scanning a ne
uncomfortable for him,
thing," he said finally
she knew this was the rea
she had been dreadin
to the country," he be
situation is
nowhere
he could stay wi
she gets on
s heart w
s hap
like
name Chloe and felt a vague, unformed
be the supportive,
n, eager to please him, eager
eginning of her slow, painfu
ed directly at him,
ie, the feigned concern for this "distant
move his lover
ome the woman who would be the
Eleano
anded in the silent room wit
head sna
d and dark, n
did yo
r repeated, her voi
n't sta
strange sen
she had laid in the fou
ry to manipulate, but he was dea
th a woman who kn
ing facade be
twitched
used to b
e said, his voice taking on
nowhere e
oblem, Liam," she
n her hands but kep
is our
house for your
hang in the air,
or the stairs, leaving him sit
o their bedroom, she felt a
under her roof, expecting her
hroom and splashed co
back at her, her eyes
life, the meek and accom
to hell and back, and she was not go
ps followed her
room doorway, his arms
was gone, replaced by
r problem is," he said, his
simple r
ple answer," she said
N
his presence filling the spa
ng childish
being dece
uld stop them, and the look on his
know tha
e was in com
h, visibly trying to
t afford a
ar the per
is tomorrow," he sai
a dis
eave, but stop
tone, a pathetic atte
hink ab
mean a lo
didn't
away, the disgust chu
d win her over wit
idea what
t she was no longe
urn his perfect wo