into their

clean, stylishly decorated

th books, with plants she ignored, with his

s had ever warmed

ul, empty shell, much

heir wedding photo

ling at him, though her eyes, eve

k that photo, something about a song on

now it w

up the fra

years, he

ad poured his love i

opened the trash can, an

ust landed with a dull thud

, decis

lt no

the beginning of a

w boxes with his most personal belongings:

miss, or even notice

etworking dinner"

ark would

him right now, forgettin

a quiet hum of activity

e was dismantling five years of

me late, well

ing room, smelling of ex

id, kicking o

g ni

im, already scrollin

d at the m

he asked, casually, her attent

fe

an lied, his

rew i

O

ka

dn't l

no question

accep

ble of figuring out how to dis

hought was numb, felt

the kitchen, o

leftovers from tha

Mark reco

amaz

try the sh

keout container

ri

severe shell

her countless tim

emergency room after a restaurant mis

d forg

ai

r really re

another inconvenient detail about hi

around ingredients, quietly managed his own safety

s," he

dn't to

't protect her from

protect

tune, oblivious, Ethan took the conta

the trash can, and dropped it in, righ

act of r

t decl

al scraps, done ignoring the

hoosing

na

Sarah was rushing,

e phone, anim

w it w

pausing by the door, her coat h

red," Et

cuse without a second thought, her

k, I'm lea

t the pres

s into the pho

ed back

ument Mr. Henderson

the joint inves

but I didn't r

again before

ke sure I know w

vorce

nvestmen

documents she usually ignored, hoping she'd sig

e

art ha

was

e to te

her walk out the do

e words on the t

s, u

one rang again, a fr

atched

el

s is Sara

ar

he o

course, I'll

ale, her eyes

heir entire conversation, was

," she said, her voi

s Ma

stant jus

ollapsed at

it might b

go to the

ht n

ng her bag, her keys,

he document she

ught f

t M

ys M

a strange calm s

st another

ash out of t

cases near the door, packed with mo

f she'd notice

even glan

k, a laser beam of concern th

bol of his impending departur

bid curiosity he coul

he kitchen counter, stil

he sho

he

e email cha

te mes

an

were smooth,

lways the o

to Chicago, i

spent together.

lt that way wi

han's blood run cold: "Don't w

ll build a beautif

e care of

e you,

han any

claiming

mising her

e filled with hope, with lov

like he w

left h

depth of her betrayal, it was

chair, the screen blurr

n't just

emolition of their entire life tog

me, the silence of the apa

he sto

dically, he b

few thing

ryt

ah had chosen, leaving b

drawers, his si

the few mementos of a life he now realized had be

d was a piece of h

e y

st

of Sarah, but for the loss of himself, the

arrying the last box to

ned, but there was a strange, almo

she announced, a relieved

a severe an

ess from his

ere Ethan was goi

e the barrenness

mark on her neck,

ve b

es

id no

oaded the

ce was

annual gala for Ethan

r commendation for a su

deal, but it was

rah to be the

an," she'd sai

is the same night, but I'l

signed table, wa

s ceremon

me was

, accepted the small p

nned t

Sar

e, the applause polite

invisibility cloa

dessert, Sarah

k Vanc

dressed, charming

ghing at something Mar

from across the room, then proceeded to work the crowd wit

n't com

t congrat

possessively on her waist, introducing him to her in

ublic display of her pr

ion curl in his stom

publicly aligning herself with a

o return, if there ha

han was in Mr. Hende

y for his a

f pacing the sm

y the office building's entr

ing into the c

n came out t

good to

iscuss the

ed, his th

es

nalize ev

from her cafe table, her eyes widening slightly as she s

f something

crossed

s call out, Mark leaned over, said som

d her deeper into the cafe, her

n't loo

rson hadn

dy discussin

's office, the city noi

Mark, holding hands, her face alight with

as o

cepte

esignation sett

had gone o

nothing le

legal cooling-off

papers, get on a plane to Po

ded it

ple

ving home from a final site

nd, about the quiet anonymit

red out of nowhere, swerv

el, a shout teari

g crash of metal, th

blac