When Dreams Fade to Ashes

I slumped on the living room couch, my gaze shifting between my phone and the portrait of my late mother.She had cried in her last moments, entrusting me to John's care and begging him to look after me.Standing by her deathbed, John had solemnly promised, "Mom, you can rest easy. I'll take good care of Yasmin for you."However, since she had been gone, John started spending more and more nights away from home.He would come home reeking of another woman's perfume, his skin often marked with telltale signs of betrayal.Every time it happened, tears would stream down my face as I asked him if there was someone else. He would snap back, "You're going crazy! You’re cooped up all day playing housewife, and you’re starting to imagine crazy things. I'm out there networking, so of course I'm gonna pick up different scents."Snapping out of it, I gathered my things and made my way to my mom's grave.I laid down the flowers and poured my heart out to her tombstone.I told her that I

"Hey, Yasmin. You weren't home the other night, and I kind of crashed here because I was too wasted to go home. I think I left my undies somewhere. Have you seen them?"Holly's cheeks were a shade of pink, and her eyes sparkled with a sly satisfaction.She seemed eager to drop the bomb that she had hooked up with my husband.That trash I found was clearly her doing."Yeah, I found them in the bathroom trash. You tossed them there, didn't you?"Oh, and there was a condom there too."I had never been one to play nice with her kind.John went as white as a sheet when he heard that, blurting out, "Holly, no more bringing your boyfriend over. Got it?"He was shooting her desperate looks.Holly looked a bit miffed but managed to say, "Sorry, Yasmin. My boyfriend left that there."I had to laugh on the inside.Putting on a show right in front of me? Do they think I'm clueless?I kept my cool and just kept eating.After dinner, I did not bother with the dishes.I knew Holly and J

The art show wrapped up. Hank was the perfect gentleman, offering to escort me out and drive me home.Before I could even respond, John grabbed my hand."She's got a husband. I'll take her home," he declared and whisked me away.A sharp, fishy stench hit me the moment I stepped into the car. I was not naive, and I knew exactly what that smell meant."I just had the car washed. It's probably the cleaner they used," John blurted out a bit too quickly.I let it slide, asking instead, "What about Holly?"You're just going to leave her to get herself home?""Yasmin, can you please drop the attitude?" he pleaded, his voice tinged with desperation."I know I shouldn't have fought with you this morning. I've been wrong about a lot of things."I get that you can't stand Holly. I'll cut ties with her. Can't we just get back to how things used to be?"I had heard his empty promises more times than I could count.Six years trapped in a joyless marriage was more than enough.Now, all I

"Enough about that. I'm going to prove my sincerity to you now."John grabbed a rose and unveiled the contents of the gift box.A white silk dress was nestled inside.I had once pleaded with him to buy that very dress for me.Back then, he had snapped, "Do you even deserve a dress that pretty? It's not even practical considering all the cooking you do every day."I lifted the dress, running my fingers over the smooth fabric.However, the dress did not seem so beautiful to me anymore.In a swift motion, I tossed it straight into the trash."This dress isn't pretty at all."John's face went pale, and he scrambled to rescue the dress from the bin."But you used to love this dress! You begged me to get it for you.""People change," I murmured. "Just like you've changed.""I..." He was at a loss for words.He knew better than anyone the kind of person he had turned into.The boy who used to cycle to the ice cream shop with me was nowhere to be found.Six years had passed, and