The Unseen Scars of Love

my own home. My body ached from the fall, a constant, dull throb in my lower back, but the physical pain was nothi

ssentials, when Chloe walked in without knocking. S

voice dripping with fake sympathy.

a plain gray sweater an

, a deliberate cruelty in her tone. "He said he wants to repla

k to her. "Ge

sharp sound. "Don't worry. I'm not as fragile as you. And my b

queezed my eyes shut, willing myself not t

the room, but she

ou think yo

ed," sending the entire glass of dark liquid splashing all over the pristi

hand to her mouth in mock horror. "Lo

's car pulled in

at her dress with a napkin and me s

his eyes immediately hard

st came to say goodbye to Ava, and she... she got so angry. S

flat and tired. I didn't have

toward me. He looked at the stain, then at me, his fac

," I wh

t up," h

at him.

on your knees and

smug, triumphant

t be ridicul

using? After everything you've done? Maybe a night in a jail cell

I was trapped. Another fight, another police report... it could co

knees. The fibers of the rug were rough again

he said. "I want

from crying out. My hands were already red and raw from scrubbing when a pie

with the wine, staining

ed, unmoved. "Yo

e had held my hand so gently, his eyes full of love, promising

t, onto the stained carpet. I wasn't just cleaning a mess.

ke hours. When he was finally sa

e walked over to Chloe and wiped a fake tear from her cheek w

acking. My wedding rings were still on the nightstand. I picked them up, the

ightstand and closed

. Eleanor's notebooks. Her personal research notes, full of calculations and

ept them. My heart hammered against my ribs. I tore the room

aughter from t

e sofa. A fire was roaring in the fireplace. And

ese?" she asked

lood running cold. "Please. T

as just telling me how you were obsessed with his mother's

of cold fury. "Is that w

ied, taking a step toward t

me," Ch

ourish, ripped out a handful of pages. The sound

into the fire. They caught ins

forward, trying to snatc

ng me back onto the floo

ght. "You want them? Fine." He took the remaining

lurred with tears. "Ethan, plea

you!" he roared. He held a not

dn't

id, K

tebook dip toward the fire.

nees, the pain in my back flaring

oken sound. "It's pathet

crawled toward them, my hands shaking, and gathered them into

nor's life's work, I looked up at the man I

that I had to survive. I had to finis

ad arranged a small farewell dinner for me with a few trus

e room was filled with people. All our friends, colleagues, Ethan

an had done this. That this was his

stubborn thing, f

front of the room, a microphone in his hand. Chloe was b

ming through the speakers. The room fell silent. "I k

t at me, his e

ing much more impor

I are getting engaged! And," he paused, lettin

e at me, their faces a mixture of shock, pity, and confusion.

ked from my lungs. This wasn't a

fied. "Ethan, what the hell are you talking about?" one of

h venom. "I've filed for divorce. I could no longe

erupted i

t," she sobbed. "I saw her. She pulled the plug. And she was

en speak. I just stood there, frozen, as my life and reputati

, ready to intervene, to stop t

"It's the only way.

s a monster, no one would look for me when I d

absorbed every lie, every hatefu

ctor Miles. "She was cheating with him

mped off the stage, grabbed a bottle of champagne from a table, and sm

m mine, spittle flying from his lips. "Were yo

knew better than my own, and saw not

, Ethan," I said, my voice

n him. He grabbed my shoulders, shaki

life," I said, my v

s time, I didn't flinch. I just looked at h

his anger. He looked lost. For a second, I saw a fli

it wa

e thick with unshed tears. "Get ou

ek. In that moment, I knew he was crying for the l

d my shoulders and guided me out of the r

elief. I looked up at the moon, a p

whispered to the silence. "M

n at me. I signed them without reading. Then I took out m

he small, portable shredder D

of Ava Riley turn int

I said, loo

k of profound re

a Riley," he

ainst the cool glass of the window. I