Five Years, A Cruel Deception

of images, Chloe in her wedding dress, Chloe laughing with Ethan, the fake certificate in his hand. He was num

s and shattering glass. His head slammed against th

t. He tried to move, but a sharp pain shot up his arm. He looked down and saw the cast. His phone was on the bedside table. He reached for it with hi

o sorry, honey. The conference ran late. I' ll have to stay an e

of pain. He was lying in a hospital bed with broken bones,

t his open door, followed by a doctor. He heard Chloe' s voice, high-pi

ch. She came back. She found out he

ead and was complaining loudly about his arm. And Chloe was right there, her hand clutching his, her face a mask of franti

The betrayal was so profound, so absolute, it felt like a fresh wound tearing open his chest. He was in

ony in his soul. He couldn't stay there, in the same building as them. He rented a car and, driven by some self-

he was milking it for all it was worth, leaning against Chloe dramatically. She played along, wrapping her arm

ting out the spot. He saw them stop at the ice cream shop they used to frequent, sharing a cone, their heads close together. Every shared memory he ha

. It was his wedding gift, a space for her to curate and display the work of up-and-coming artists she loved. It w

gs, her expression animated. She led him to the small office at the back, the one with the couch where they had... a wave of nausea wa

he love he had felt was curdlin

a sharp, no-nonsense attorney who had handled several of hi

s wrong? You l

verything. The house, the stocks, the art collection. I want to

or softened. "Liam, what is

ds tasting like poison. "It was

compassion on her face was enough. She nodded slo

lien now, contaminated. He walked from room to room, a ghost in his

ped each photo in half, then into quarters, his movements methodical and detached. He took the framed pictures off the walls and smash

ive-year lie. He didn' t stop until every trace of her, of th

e wrecked living room. Chloe never came home. He kn