Dominic warmed my hands and feet, then had Josephine make me a bowl of my favorite lean pork congee.
He fed me himself, spoonful by spoonful. I couldn't taste any of it.
Light footsteps echoed down the hallway.
At the same time, a cloying wave of perfume hit my nostrils.
The man beside me inhaled sharply, his breathing turning heavy with unmistakable desire.
I reached toward the source of the scent and asked him on purpose.
"Dominic, did someone come in?"
He grabbed my hand in a panic, his voice tight. "Careful. Don't knock over the bowl."
He used the excuse of setting the bowl down to lift me off his lap.
A faint, breathy whimper brushed past my ear.
I couldn't see what was happening. All I heard was the bathroom door slamming shut.
Water splashed violently inside. Dominic was in there kissing Stephanie.
He kept his voice low, teasing and playful. "You took advantage of the fact that Joanna can't see, walking in here without a stitch on just to seduce me."
The girl panted, her voice dripping with coyness. "Don't pretend you don't like it. Your body certainly doesn't lie."
Through the haze, I heard the crisp jingle of tiny bells.
It felt like someone had carved a piece out of my heart with bare hands. I fumbled my way to the vanity.
I yanked open the drawer and found the small, square box.
But when I opened it, there was nothing inside.
That was the heirloom locket my grandmother had braided for me with her own hands before she died. I had kept it right there.
I ran my fingers over every inch of the box, inside and out. It was gone.
The sound of bells clinking together came from the bathroom again.
I couldn't stop shaking. That was the exact sound of the bells on my grandmother's heirloom locket.
A memory flashed through my mind: the day Stephanie first came to the house.
She had spotted the locket around my neck and asked me for it.
I refused. Dominic called me petty.
He knew exactly what that locket meant to me, and he still stole it to make Stephanie happy.
Every last trace of warmth drained from my heart. I understood now that there was no place left for me in Dominic's world.
The noises from the bathroom went on for a long time.
The door creaked open. I turned toward the sound.
Everything was still pitch black, but I could feel the wave of heat rolling toward me.
Dominic carried her out in a hurry, not forgetting to feed me an excuse on his way past.
"Working late tonight. Don't wait up. Get some sleep."
I stared coldly toward the sound of his voice.
"Dominic, my heirloom locket is missing."
His reply was clipped with impatience. "I really do have something urgent. I'll help you look for it when I have time."
The door slammed. Stephanie's triumphant laughter echoed down the hallway.
I pulled the wedding ring off my finger. My lips twisted into a bitter smile, and I tossed it aside.
That ring was the first gold band Dominic ever bought me. He'd stood in the snow handing out flyers for two months to afford it.
Gold was eight hundred eighty-eight dollars for ten grams, and ten grams was what he gave me. It cost us a full year's rent.
I scolded him for spending so recklessly and insisted we return it.
But Dominic kissed me, deep and tender.
"Joanna, I swear I will never let you suffer for being with me."
Yet from the day he brought Stephanie home, I had suffered more than I could count.
I curled up helplessly against the headboard.
Josephine finished clearing the dishes and lingered, wanting to say something but holding back.
"Ma'am, some things... it's better to let go. Love is the least important thing."
So she had known all along.
Three years of trust collapsed in an instant. I bit down hard on my lower lip to keep from crying out loud.
I didn't know how much time passed before I gripped the edge of the bed and stood.
"Josephine, take me to the studio."
"I need to be alone for a while."
