ief interaction with Ethan
onths before Jessica officially ens
him, but Jessica, in a fit of pique over some mi
d me towards Ethan, ordering me to "be charming" and "k
ortified bu
Ethan and I had
mall talk, but a
event planning, listened with
that was a stark contrast to the usual pree
ent, I' d felt a s
all smiles and apologies, dra
s attention shifted, captured b
hot me a tri
n with Ethan was f
hadowed, of Jessica taking what she
ready for this new, repeated eveni
er echoing up the staircase as she flirted
ht "stomach bug," a common refrain I
al timeline, her symptoms would bec
she tried to mask with pe
mfort she' d blame o
l cream hidden in her bathroom once, and a printout from
oud, or too invested in her "p
had been met with furious denial and accu
, telling me to "stop being so negative"
wouldn't sugg
n
over to m
screet online pharm
popped up, promising quick
another, leaving a coup
main search history, but
tally,"
use my laptop later,
'd been researching something f
ety w
t was her own c
n the path of ineffe
proble
ventual exposure al
elegant black dres
arah" blue one Mot
or mourning
ning, forged in the
dy by the door, resplendent in a pale pin
ed me up
ah? Trying to fade
that," I said wi
er eyes immediately z
htaking! Ethan won' t be abl
spared me
at least it' s
l now, replaced by a cold,
ave their
s young. And