sey

ke a velvet-lined coffin, suffocat

a service hallway lined with stacked chairs

he wall, closing m

amic vessel to be shattered and

y through my gallery. The nights I spent soothing his

too far t

room next door. The walls w

, Bennett's

ennett. The families

ed. It was cold. Calculating.

r? She's leavin

nd that scraped against my nerves. "Do you think I'm doing this beca

ath hi

hy?" Lu

s getting too independent with that gallery. Too much 'me,' not enough 'us.' I n

over my mouth t

o status, and no pride... she'll come crawling back. And she'll be gratef

the b

her spot. I know it. I'm letting it play out until Kelsey break

e rise in

ruelty. It was a

love. He wa

of pain I felt-he was counting

that thought he might have just fallen out of lo

sad anymore. I

ll. I didn't need t

ded t

ailed a cab. I didn't go to the s

shadows stretching across the pol

. My hands were shaking, not

en safe behind the

0-4-1-8. Our anniversary.

the black

ust data. Thi

. The one that showed exactly which paintings were real assets I had bought with my ow

building for years, subconsciously. A bank acc

the drive

somew

n, blinding me for a

as still wearing his tuxedo from the gala

y hand. He saw the te

u have ther

closing the distance wit

he asked softly. "Or i

He alwa

palm up. An invitation. A

ressing my spine

voice in the prep

rive. It was my freed

him in

" I

of my dress, pressing it tight aga

cut it out of