The Bride Who Walked Away

m to come to the house I once shared with Ethan and take everything he had ever bought me. The d

the rooms with a clipboard. "This painting?" he asked

it. Sell

collection of arc

ift from him.

emory box" I had started for us. Inside were ticket stubs from our first movie, a dried rose from our first anniversary,

r five years, he had never put a single memory of us in this box. The realization didn't hurt anymore, it jus

w it away. I didn't want to. I carried it to my c

y paper. I couldn't bring myself to burn them. That felt too dramatic, too emotional. I simply took the large, framed portrait from the wall, w

er. I almost ignored it, but I answer

" Her voice was s

nt?" I asked, m

ess. Meet me for coffee. He thinks it's my idea, but

knew I had to face her one last time. "

er. Chloe arrived a few minutes later, looking

ing," she said. "I

the poin

small photo album and slid it across the table. "I just want

is arm wrapped around her, his hand resting on her belly. They were smiling, a private, happy smile. The

than feeding her a bottle. Ethan pushing her on a swing. A sec

d in. He saw me, saw the photo album

she cried out, her voice suddenly loud and shaky. "I

r chair over, stumbled, and fell to the floor, clutching her stomach. "She pushed me!

around her protectively. He looked at me, his eyes filled with a new level of

dence of his lies and a new, fabricated