ly was simpl

nt to go? I' ll

n bathroom, staring at my reflection. The face

here quiet. M

o can arrange new identities. It will tak

e

felt like a world away from the fire and the screams that were seared into my memory. I ha

face breaking into a warm smile

hey were brilliant, gentle souls who believed in the fundamental g

I didn't tell them about seeing the

eople he works with, they're dangerous. He's made thr

didn't question me. They trusted me. Within an hour, they had packed small suitcases,

her said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

n table and called my lawyer. Then, I ca

," I said, my voice d

d," he said. "I'll have

ming to you. I want t

ded to look him in the eye and show him

ible day. He sat behind his large mahogany desk, the divorce paper

came to your s

I remembered all the love letters I had written him, my hand flowing with adoration, my heart full. I had spent years trying to be the perfe

umph, or relief. Instead, his gaze was intense, searching. It was as if he was looking for

?" I asked,

ck by my coldness.

ked out of his office without another word. The doo

s letters from deployment, dried flowers from our first date, photos of us smiling on vac

just paper an

ickly, curling the edges of the photographs, turning his words of hollow affection into black, floating

n hour outside the city, following Ethan' s detailed instructions. A sm

nding me a thick envelope. "New passp

ightly. "What

," I said. "Thank you,

. It was a blocked number. I almost igno

are you

e. It was tight, strained. There was something ra

id. "You got what you

er now. "It's empty. Everything's gone. The divorce p

bye,

heard pure, unfiltered panic in his voice. "A

n who had orchestrated my torture and my p

he single word ha

al. "I just... need to know. They're talking about a court-martial. I d

ally turned back on itself. The love he had tried to bury, the connection he

as no longer the woman w

axi down the runway. I looked out the window as the ground fell away, leaving behind t