“Good.” He brushed past me, the faint scent of expensive cologne trailing in his wake.
Later, when I slipped into bed beside him, I stared at the ceiling, wide awake. His arm draped over me like a chain.
The life I had once dreamed of was already dead. He just didn’t know it yet.
The next morning, sunlight slashed through the blinds—too bright, too ordinary, as if the world hadn’t shattered last night.
I sat at the vanity, staring at my reflection. My eyes were raw and swollen, my skin ghostly pale. Once, Matthew had sworn I was beautiful without makeup. Now I wondered if he had ever meant it—or if those words had been nothing more than lines rehearsed for convenience.
The thought made my throat constrict.
“Evelyn.” His voice carried from the doorway, smooth and commanding, as though nothing had happened. “We need to leave in half an hour. Claire’s expecting us.”
My grip on the brush faltered. Claire. The name pierced me like a blade.
“You want me to go with you?” I asked, forcing calm into my voice.
“Of course.” He adjusted his cufflinks, not even glancing at me. “She’s done so much for you—introducing you to the right committees, bringing you into her circle, making you less… invisible. The least you can do is show gratitude.”
Invisible. The word tolled in my skull like a funeral bell.
“Yes,” I murmured. Refusal wasn’t an option—not when Matthew’s eyes hardened at the smallest hint of disobedience.
Half an hour later, I was dressed and sitting stiffly beside him in the car, my hands locked in my lap. He scrolled through his phone, silent, as the city blurred past.
When we arrived, Claire’s townhouse glowed with warmth. The scent of croissants and coffee spilled into the street. Laughter rang from the marble foyer, where elegantly dressed guests mingled, crystal glasses catching the sunlight.
Claire swept toward us in a cream silk dress, her hair cascading in effortless waves. Radiant, untouchable—just as she’d always been.
“Matthew,” she said, her smile bright enough to dazzle. “You came.” Her eyes flicked to me, her expression softening into a mask of politeness. “And Evelyn too. How lovely.”
My chest tightened. I remembered nights in dorm rooms, whispering secrets in the dark, promising each other forever. That girl was gone. This woman was a stranger.