His Secret, My Shattered World

rne had called in a perso

couldn' t just get a reservation; you had to be someone. That night, they weren'

he bouncer I was with the city' s lifestyle magazine, doing a feature on the

Crystal chandeliers, velvet ropes,

r other wealthy friends. They were laughing, radiant, the cente

his voice ringing with joy. "The only woman I' ve ever love

"We knew you' d get her back, man. We never understood

ett? She was a nice distraction. Kept the bed warm. It was a

wasn' t a person. I was an

e a sob. The pain was a physical thing, a giant fist squeezing my chest until I couldn' t brea

r Brenda, but for myself. I needed to see this through to the end.

my personal items. Brenda had been kind eno

ing annoyed. He was looking for Etha

lustered. "Scarlett, have you seen my

periment" was here, in my space, complaining about

the front of the studio. A man was

ophia Thorne! She

aused the car accident years ago that killed my

man with a speed and fury I had never seen. "Get away fro

ard. The older man st

are you?" Mr.

"I' m Ethan Miller. And if you ever come

dio. Mr. Vance' s face went pale. Everyone kn

hands shaking. "Soph? Are you okay? I' m on my way." He spoke to her

ed his face. He looked around wildly. "Scarlet

the door. My phone

liberately calm and nor

came up at work. I have

h on my tongue. "Just packing up my

en angry for me. He had never protected me. When a drunk customer at the dine

at' s how I knew. In my heart, finally a

tograph a small, local event. Brenda h

d you see Ethan Miller on the news? He was so heroi

I felt nothing. Just a deep, chilling n

on, a hit-and-run driver, had escaped custody and was considered dangerous. A picture of th

The engine was dead. Strange. It h

a ride-share. I had

a strange feeling of unease crept over me. The driver was quiet, too quiet. And

rearview mirror.

he public safety alert. The m

y with terror. I managed to send a singl

e

ld locks were on. The man turned around, a

ld went

rne. His phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced at it, saw the

and put the phone away, turning his full at