Her Regret, His Peace

, summoning me to "The Velvet R

she' d slurred over the

to humiliate me in front of her friends. For three years, this was our

e smell of expensive perfume and spilled alcohol. I saw them immediately, holding court i

smile vanished, repla

she announced, her voice loud enough t

. "Chloe, darling, your husband looks a little...

g sycophants l

y pockets, and met their gaze. My silence seemed

she snapped, sitting up stra

in, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. "Isn' t that right, Ethan? If you wer

low blow, but I didn' t flinc

challenge. She picked up a full

r voice dripping with contempt. She stood up, walked over

ning my cheap white shirt a deep crimson. T

ine from my eyes. I just stood the

r-anything. I gave her nothing. My emptiness was a mirror, and I th

rew a cocktail napkin at my feet. "And then you' re going to

on my knees. I would have apologized. I would have swallowe

up the napkin, and began to calmly dab at m

rved her. "What are you

er shirt at dinner. Chloe had leaped up, her face a mask of concern. She had dabbed at the spot with a silk handkerch

l glass of wine poured over my head was entertainment. T

suddenly caught up with me. The club lights swam before my eyes. The music fad

oft beeping of a machine. I was in a hospital room. Th

sed. Her party dress was wrinkled, her makeup smudged.

d. Her voice was quiet, st

ustion." She looked away, a flicker of something unreadable in h

his might be a breakthrough. That seeing me in a

s wr

e mask of the cruel, spoiled h

ot into a little trouble last night. He was driving my car and...

at her,

his image." She leaned forward, her eyes pleading in a wa

nfess to a crime I didn' t com

"You were upset about your mother, you took my car without asking, you had a drink. It all makes sense. My family

cause of her reckless driving. And now she wanted me to take the fall for her

ng I hadn' t allowed myself to have in three years. It

dy aching. I looked he

No

t hung in the air between

ed in disbelief. "

, my voice stronger this

ple request. I' ll even raise your allow

ghed. It was

oney, Chloe," I said.

f the world had suddenly tilted on its axis. In

vorce me? You can' t divorce me! You' re nothing without me! You' re a broke,

er the side of the bed. "But I' d rather be on t

a bit shaky, and wal

r," I said, not look