to her new home, but first, Candace had one last s

uietly. She found an envelope, placed the last of her cash inside-two hundred dollars to cover the ren

picking up her last box, filled with her precio

of, have you?" she sneered. "Don't com

For the first time, she didn't feel the familiar sting

dace said, her voi

car, feeling a profound sense of release, as if she had just

more intimidating, a monument of gleaming glass that scraped the sky.

rl, I can't live here," she whispered, her hands clammy. "Thi

ringly. "Nonsense. It's just

levator that opened not into a hallway,

t and her breath c

eathtaking, panoramic view of Olympia Bay. The furniture was minimalist-a low-slung white sofa, a glass c

iving room as if she were in a m

bled. "How did Gauge ge

of a friend of mine. He was transferred overseas for a year on short notice and needed a reliable ten

the alternative-that her husband of less than twenty-four hours was a monumental lia

aining from her shoulders. "Ok

, gesturing down a hallway to the left. "And that's Gauge

d with empty bookshelves, and a kitchen with applia

deal," she said, her practical nature rebelling against the opulence. "A supermarket

hat, honey. You just worry about settling in and... getting to know my

hug, Pearl left. "I'm so happy,

t, and Candace was left alone in

ike tiny toys, the people like ants. She felt just as small, just as insignificant. She was an imposter in