So that was why he suddenly decided to take our daughter to a place like that yesterday, all for Courtney.
Digging into her background took no effort.
Her alma mater, her struggling family, the interview process, her part-time job at the amusement park, even her Twitter account.
When I saw the photo of her cheek pressed against Madeline’s, the last string holding my heart together snapped clean.
The screen reflected the faint outline of a man crouching. He was taking pictures of them.
As if they were the perfect family of three.
Her Twitter feed was overflowing with him.
It was clear that Courtney had fallen hard.
The brown sugar water he gave her during her period.
His shadow was keeping watch by her bedside during a business trip illness.
He carefully kept that tiny lost trinket all this time.
Suddenly, nausea surged.
Tears smudged my makeup as I stared at the pathetic, hollow woman in the mirror.
All I could feel was sorrow.
I had foolishly believed that if I just ignored the women outside the wall, I could hold onto this illusion of happiness a little longer.
But how could someone who had already lowered herself into the dirt in a relationship ever hold on to anything beautiful?
By evening, the housekeeper placed a bowl of soup in front of me.
Only then did I recall that it was the day I usually brought soup to Diego.
I hesitated for a moment.
For Madeline’s sake, I thought, I should at least speak with him.
So I drove to his company.
Night had already fallen.
The lights on the top floor were still shining brightly.
The office door was ajar.
Just as I raised my hand to knock, the voices inside froze me in place.
“…What do I have to do for you to stay with me?”
Diego’s voice was low, steady, almost pleading.
“To stay with you? And then what, be the mistress?”
Courtney choked out a sob.
“I must have no pride, right? Yes, I’ve fallen for you. Hopelessly. I can’t stop myself from leaning on you, being close to you.”
“But when I saw her sitting beside you, I realized you’ll never give me what I truly want.”
“I want a love that doesn’t have to hide.”
“So let’s end it.”
Her voice trembled with grievance.
And he sighed, then pulled her into his arms.
My fingers tightened around the doorknob, then slowly, I let go and turned away.
Then I heard Diego’s voice again.
“What if I divorce her?”
In that instant, it felt like my heart had been thrown into an abyss, falling endlessly with no end in sight.