GERALD The house was too quiet when I returned from the board meeting. The kind of silence that wraps around your neck like a noose. Heavy and unsettling. I had no idea I'd walked straight into another kind of war.I loosened my tie and walked through the hallway. I could perceive the scent of Vivienne’s musky vanilla perfume I’d grown used to ignoring.Then I saw her.She was by the dresser, her back to me, shoulders squared, like she’d been carved out of stone. Her suitcase was open, a sleek maroon box on the floor, half-filled with dresses, jewelry, and her familiar gold makeup kit.“Vivienne. What are you doing?”She didn’t answer. Just calmly placed her eyeshadow palette into the kit, zipped it shut, and straightened.“I asked you a question,” I repeated, stepping closer.She then turned slowly, and locked eyes with me…. And then she smiled. But not the smile I used to know.This one was cruel….bent at the corners and empty in the middle.“What’s so funny, woman?” I snapped.“Fu
Last Updated : 2025-09-04 Read more