lted, groaned,

pounding of my own heart. The lights flickered once, twi

trophobia, a cold and suffocating snake, began to wrap itself a

ost dropped it. The screen' s glow was a small comfort i

band. He woul

hoing the frantic pulse in m

h? I' m in the mid

c and the faint sound of a woman' s laughter in the ba

hand against the cold metal wall. "The el

maintenance. Why ar

w how I get. Please, just... can y

one else, his voice muffled. The woman, definitely A

with a bad cold, she' s got a fever. I' m taking h

od ran

g lost in the tight space. "David, I' m

s. You' re a grown woman, not a child. I' ll call mai

say another w

g into a ball on the floor, the phone slipping from my grasp. He chose her. He chose

e last thread of hope I' d been cli

, they found me pale and shivering, but my eyes were dry. The storm

ver truly felt like my home. When I opened the door, I fou

moment, just watching him. Then I

I want a

head, an amused smir

e elevator thing? Don' t

us. I' ve already contacted a lawyer.

t angry, just condescending. He looked down a

your little tantrum. Get

that was meant to be placati

on the phone with his friends, h

itched, whiny voice. "Please. Where is she going to go? Her parents are gone. She h

nformation. They confirmed what I already knew. He

the public hum

m and Ashley, their heads close together. She was smiling b

t make a gloomy day feel bright. S

. I didn't answer. I just looked at the picture, at the man I had spent

ealousy. Just a profound sense o

ry. I didn

the bed. I started folding my clothes, one by one, placing them neatly

that were truly mine. The life we had built together felt

my phone, my fingers steady this time. I scrolled through my con

before a warm, fami

a surprise. Is e

ng back finally welled in my eye

my voice thick with emot