ain in my gut. It wasn' t emotional. It was physical. A cramp so intense it made me doub

nstantly kicking into high gear. She rushed to my side, her fac

ed to get out, the pain m

down, sit down." She guided me to one of the chairs at

brutal one, but I didn' t need a hospital. The last thin

w recognized as a performance for an invisible audienc

s still wearing the hospital bracelet, and he held his bandaged arm with a pained

, so I came right over. Is everything alright?" He was playing the part of the concerned frie

Olivia said, rushing to him.

face a mask of sympathy. "Ethan, old friend

stolen my life, my wife, my future. I f

said frantically. "Alex, ca

rm around my shoulder, and together, they helped me to my feet. The proximit

via was fluttering around, getting a glass of water, a cold compress.

and he reached out and gently squeezed her hand. She leaned into him, just for a second, a silent, intimate gesture of shared conspiracy. He whis

verything. The casual intimacy, the shared secret

ago. I had been sick with the flu, and she had taken care of me, fussing over me, her touch gentle and

was real. That woman was gone. Or maybe she never existed at all. T

' t just cheated on me. She had erased me. She had made our entire life together a lie, a joke. She had stood beside me,

p. The pain in my gut was nothing compared to the agony in

nocking against a small side table. A glass of wa

s loud in th

ds whipping around to look at me. The

n for my health anymore. They were fi