e Myer

I sat on the edge of our king-sized bed, the same bed where Julian had rolled over and fallen into a drunken, unap

. He was a creature of habit. No matter how much he drank,

he marble island. He was pretending. Pretending last night never happened. It was his sign

ady dressed in his tailored suit, looking every bit

ill a little rough from sleep. He wal

nched

k, Addie. About last night... you were tired, we all

and, and his attention snapped to it instantly. His face lit

ways the phone. Alwa

, my pain, his dismissive apology, and then a swift return to the status quo,

echoed from

oved towards the door without a second glance at me. "We' re he

on the phone a week ago. A "no partners" weekend geta

d, forgotten in his haste. My heart hammered against my ribs. I' d never looked through his ph

fool I'

His password was our anniversary. The

the one I was in, the sanitized one with polite chatter a

age, sent just momen

aiting! Can' t wait to have my boy all to myself. T

harp and visceral, shot through my ch

through weeks, months, years of messages. It w

sary 'celebration' ? Did the ice

Thinks a bonfire story from a decade ag

Jade, a picture of a

me for my birthday! Who needs a

was a string o

They dissected my personality, labeling me as "cold," "boring," and "no fun." They o

wasn' t just an emotional affair. This was a conspiracy. A long, calculated campaign of disrespec

separate, "clean" group chat months ago, adding me to it with a gra

s the outsider they tolerated, the

ain. I held down the power and volume buttons, taking screenshots. I sent every single inc

are waiting. I told them you weren' t feeling well and were staying

fully constructed mask of neutrali

What? Why? You

ng,'" I said, my voice even. "It' s owned by Kenneth

his own girlfriend, Carolyne, and had never once crossed a l

hated Kenneth, hated the easy

rp. "It' s a 'no partners' trip. Y

I almost laughed. "You think me being the

took a step towards me, his

my birthday

dawning realization, followed by a flicker of annoyance, cross his face. He' d

hoices, all leading to this single moment. He could stay, apologize,

honk echoed from t

d, his dec

," he said dismissively, turning

moving toward it. He tried to block my wa

doorframe. A sharp, searing pain shot up my knuckles,

convertible, sunglasses perched on her head, tapping her foot impa

re! I was about to send a search party." She glanced past him at me, her

his arm going around Jade' s waist, pulling her

cheek. "My poor baby. Don' t worry, I'

ing in the doorway, my hand throbbing, my heart shattered into a million irreparable pie

r car disappeared do

into the silent house, pick

wered on th

ing none of the storm raging inside me.

use. "Addie?

him off. "I need to see it for mysel

e, and then his voice, firm and

on years of mutual respect and unwavering support. It needed no flowery words, no

l, ugly, spectacular implosion with my own two eyes. I needed to witness the de

-