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