The Fake Wedding, A Real Betrayal

ok my pillow and blanket and move

ust the two of us, taken on a trip to the coast. I pulled the picture from

t come home

rom the kitchen. I walked out to find Olivia

es. "I' m making some seafood porridge for

omfort food perfectly, but she' d completely forgott

anks,"

with apology. "Ethan, about what I said yeste

t shr

let' s take that trip we talked abou

didn' t matter. I' d be

tment. When I came home one evening with a friend to help me move some of my larger things into stor

u think Olivia and I have that 'couple look' ? The photograph

h a faint blush colored her cheeks. She turned to me. "We' r

y voice dripping with sa

stuck to Olivia' s side like glue. He held her hand as they walked, whispering old

nds swarmed th

are back together after all these years

round Olivia' s waist. "Some

noticed me. "An

yes flicking to me for

"I' m their friend,"

ated look on her face, but s

ed on Mark, laughing at his jokes, refilling his plat

back, I overheard a friend asking Olivi

e? In all the years Mark was gone, d

erjected. "It' s natural if she did," he said, though his e

hed out and touched his cheek, he

ght at him. "There was neve

elieved smile, and he pulle

any more. I turned aro

y drunk Mark. She managed to get him to the bed, where he collap

"If I had never left.

d her down an

o get my jacket. I saw them, tangled together on the bed. I pause

away, scrambling off the bed and chasing m

t what it looks l

etely calm. "I know. It' s okay. You sho

ltered, replaced by confu

sked, her voice barely a whisper