I don't remember how I made it away from that door.
When I came to my senses, I had already crashed into someone. Expensive whiskey splashed across my clothes, leaving me a mess.
I kept my head down, stammered an apology, and fled before the person could say a word.
The winter rain hammered against my skin. I felt none of it. The voices from that room echoed on and on inside my skull.
For the past two years, Daryl had taken me abroad for treatment, accompanied me on trips to lift my spirits.
Even when he was clearly exhausted, he would smile and reassure me:
"Josephine, as long as you're okay, I'm okay."
But now I understood. All of it had been nothing more than a tool to keep me useful.
The rain fell harder. The bone-deep cold jolted me fully awake.
At that wedding in one week, the ones left in ruins would be the Sanchez family.
I got into my car, pulled out my phone, and did three things in rapid succession:
I scheduled a termination procedure, hired someone to uncover the truth behind that car accident years ago, and accepted the collaboration offer from the luxury jewelry brand Bellerose.
The moment I finished, a notification popped up on my social media: someone had followed me.
Along with it came several direct messages:
Mrs. Sanchez, I know today is your anniversary with Daryl. I told him he didn't need to come pick me up, but he insisted. So I can only tell you this way: what we have is a pure friendship between a man and a woman. Nothing more.
At the end, she'd sent a cat sticker, the same one Daryl always used.
It was Sarah Simmons.
I tapped into her profile, and it all clicked. The cat Daryl was so fond of was a birthday gift he'd given her.
A message from Daryl arrived on my phone:
Babe, sorry, something came up with an important client. I'll make the anniversary up to you later.
I let out a bitter laugh and didn't bother replying.
When I got home, the housekeeper greeted me at the door.
"Ma'am, the food's gone cold. Would you like me to reheat it?"
"Even the best dishes don't taste the same after reheating. Throw it all out."
Ignoring the housekeeper's startled expression, I turned and went upstairs to wash up and rest.
I didn't sleep well that night.
In the haze of half-sleep, the scent of roses drifted to my nose.
My heart ached. I pulled away from Daryl's embrace.
"Josephine, what's wrong?"
"You've been coming home later and later." My throat tightened. "Daryl, is work really that busy?"
Daryl sat up and pulled off his shirt. The marks on his neck and shoulder, unmistakably intimate, stung my eyes.
"I know you've got a lot on your plate with the wedding planning, and it's easy to overthink. But trust me, okay?"
I bit down hard on my lip, rolled over with my back to him, and said nothing.
After a long silence, a delicate, glittering bracelet dangled before my eyes.
"Are you angry?"
Sensing something was off, Daryl leaned in, wrapped his arms around me, and pressed a soft kiss to my temple.
"I had your anniversary gift ready ages ago. Try it on?"
He clasped the bracelet around my wrist.
His warm breath brushed against my neck and shoulder. I looked down at the bracelet, and tears blurred my vision before I could stop them.
In Sarah's latest social media post, she was wearing the full jewelry set from this exact brand.
This bracelet was nothing more than a freebie, a gift-with-purchase thrown in after a thirty-million-dollar spending spree.
So that was what I was worth to Daryl.
And there was something else. When my mother died, the force of the crash had caused her bracelet to sever her wrist completely.
Even now, bracelets still cast a shadow over my heart.
"Josephine, you're so beautiful."
Daryl's thumb traced circles on my wrist, and his other hand moved to slide my robe off my shoulder.
I turned away, my voice flat.
"I think my period came early. I've been too tired lately."
He opened his mouth to say something, but his phone rang at just the right moment.
Within minutes, he'd changed his clothes and was heading for the door.
"Something urgent came up. I'll explain everything later, Josephine."
Seeing my silence, he paused mid-step and added:
"Tomorrow I'll go with you to try on wedding dresses. Consider it making up for our anniversary."
"I've also got a surprise for you."
The word "surprise" struck me like a bolt of lightning.
I forced a smile. "Okay. Sounds good."
The room fell silent again.
I buried my face in the pillow and let the tears soak through.
All those years of love had been nothing but a lie from start to finish.
And I was only seeing it now.
When I lifted my head, I unclasped the bracelet and tossed it into the trash.
A notification lit up my phone: my appointment with a divorce attorney had been confirmed.
The name of the law firm struck me as oddly familiar, but I couldn't place it no matter how hard I tried.
A flicker of unease passed through me, but given that this firm was the best in the city for divorce cases, I dismissed the thought of switching.
