sta

he city lights outside the panoramic windo

n't co

al message swallowed by an immense, silent void.

red, then pressed the social media

m. "Hockey Prince Stands Vigil for Aili

his hand gently brushing a strand of hair from her pale forehead. The look in hi

he bathroom, my hand clamped over my mouth, and retche

nifestation of a broken heart. But this f

ed through the fog of my misery.

d it tucked behind a bottle of expensive lotion I never used. A small, w

gnanc

I was terrified to confirm the answer

ould he change his mind? W

extinguished by the memory of his cold, gray e

e wou

mplication. A roadblock on his

a ploy. A desperate, pat

ot, following the instructions on the box.

e a lifetime. My heart hammered agai

ace down on the marble co

self. I took a breat

li

s. They burned themselves onto my ret

preg

leaving me for another woma

ity. A suffocating wave of ice-cold despair.

a sob, my body sliding down the cold, ti

ach. A life. A tiny, secret life w

d already decided

. I would not let my baby become a tool, a barg

sive thought formed in

s stopped. My eyes w

p the preg

pped the plastic stick in two. The c

pieces int

white funeral pyre, disappearing forever. Along with my

n the mirror. A pale, hollo

alista," I wh

ave it. Barrett Sterl

k into the living room. I picked

flashed on the screen. A sharp pang

ined t

s, found his name,

a single text

nts. I want the fastest divorce po

o

e city. For the first time, its glittering expanse felt completely alien to me.