986 Nights of Betrayal

n the foyer was thick with the scent of wood polish and Ivana' s cloying, triumphant pe

rs, her voice laced with a false sweetness that

ile spread across her face. It was the smile o

ght with shame. But he didn' t stop her. He didn' t say a word.

o protect it with my own body. But my feet were rooted to the spot, my limbs heavy

sk through the double doors and out

cavernous and empty without the familiar presence of my perfume organ. The space where

ntry I couldn' t reach. Every creak of the hous

e mattress dipping beside me. Corbett had slipped into bed. He didn' t touch me. He

etched for what

he darkness. His voice was raw. "You should have seen

I couldn' t. There

own life now. Like she can finally be creative again." He pause

in a bankrupt currency. I had nothing lef

I th

. She was showing off sketches for her new "design stud

nounced to Corbett, completely ignoring my presence. "I' m even thi

roken smile. "She would

st forgot. There was a box of your little bottles inside the desk. Don' t wo

ble scents I had collected and created over years. Rel

ile told m

s trying to smell one of them, and I' m just so clumsy. The bottle slipped." She held up her hand, showin

od ran

e. Please,

g to capture the essence of him: the smell of his old library, the pipe tobacco he sometimes sm

, not walked, to the guest room

ass bottle. And soaked into the pristin

ck with the sce

uefied and slowly eva

coop up the glass, the liquid, as if I could somehow put it back together. The s

the final, de

ana appeared i

?" Corbett asked, his

ace. "Oh my goodness! Is that what was in the bottle?

ith tears, my hands dripping with blo

pose," I choked out.

trembling lip. He saw my raw, unrestrained grief

nna, calm down. It was an accident. We can get

d, snatching my hands away. "You don'

she' s scaring me. She' s looking

led Ivana behind him, shielding her fro

old as ice. "You' re hysterical. You' re upset

wrapping his arms around Ivana, whi

bleeding, my heart shattered into a million pieces. And my husband,

shred of hope that the man I married was still in there somewher

as