ong shadows across the living

f the plush sofa, the fab

, broken only by the quiet hum of

eticulously managed for two years, a

was all

, was a man who v

tech firm, a charismatic exe

a stable, respectable union that look

his performance, and Eleanor, a talented arc

itions, trading her drafting table for a din

the mantelpiece, a picture of he

uld see the emptiness in his eyes, the

ut he was never

and the memories of her p

earing, vivid reality she was

fe already, all the w

wife, raising their two children, managing h

artner to his success, th

hen h

ing heart attac

Eleanor had begun to sort through his be

ifetime of secrets, a collection of letters and

love with anoth

dhood sw

maintained a hidden

ed her secretly, and loved her with a p

e, her entire life

ng, it was all a carefully constructed st

physical thing, a crushing weight t

r will to live extinguished by

she had

rlife, but here, in this cold house, b

with the ghost of a twenty-

s to wear off, replaced

ot let it h

des of her life as a supporting char

he would liv

e front door lock snappe

was

g his briefcase onto

e, his movements s

his voice flat, a sim

ed to him, taken his coat, asked abou

anxious to please, despera

she remai

eplied, her tone ju

of surprise crossing

to her fawni

a disruption to th

t her for the first time that da

ing wrong?

, offering a simple, d

m as he moved

stranger

was filtered through the le

smile, the calculation in hi

ent, making sure the perfect w

hen and came back w

t offer

ever

ances, a detail she'd onl

riage, he was already sending money to Ch

, it was all funded by Liam, by the money he earned

a jolt of cold

pposite her, the space betwee

his eyes scanning a ne

uncomfortable for him,

thing," he said finally

she knew this was the rea

she had been dreadin

to the country," he be

situation is

nowhere

he could stay wi

she gets on

s heart w

s hap

like

name Chloe and felt a vague, unformed

be the supportive,

n, eager to please him, eager

eginning of her slow, painfu

ed directly at him,

ie, the feigned concern for this "distant

move his lover

ome the woman who would be the

Eleano

anded in the silent room wit

head sna

d and dark, n

did yo

r repeated, her voi

n't sta

strange sen

she had laid in the fou

ry to manipulate, but he was dea

th a woman who kn

ing facade be

twitched

used to b

e said, his voice taking on

nowhere e

oblem, Liam," she

n her hands but kep

is our

house for your

hang in the air,

or the stairs, leaving him sit

o their bedroom, she felt a

under her roof, expecting her

hroom and splashed co

back at her, her eyes

life, the meek and accom

to hell and back, and she was not go

ps followed her

room doorway, his arms

was gone, replaced by

r problem is," he said, his

simple r

ple answer," she said

N

his presence filling the spa

ng childish

being dece

uld stop them, and the look on his

know tha

e was in com

h, visibly trying to

t afford a

ar the per

is tomorrow," he sai

a dis

eave, but stop

tone, a pathetic atte

hink ab

mean a lo

didn't

away, the disgust chu

d win her over wit

idea what

t she was no longe

urn his perfect wo