I didn't answer. I just stayed quiet and closed my eyes, pretending to be tired, pretending I wanted to sleep, and he didn't push. His hand still stroked my hair, slow, gentle, like petting a sleeping cat. Then he got up, turned off the light, and I heard his footsteps walk away.The next morning, I woke up first. Alexandro was still sleeping beside me, his face calm, his chest rising and falling slowly. I didn't wake him. I got out of bed quietly, took my phone from the nightstand, and sat on the chair near the window.The phone lit up. A news notification. A photo of Elena with a crown on her head, a sash across her shoulder, her perfect wide smile."Elena Bianchi Wins Prestigious Beauty Pageant, Set to Enter the Film Industry."I read it once more.I put the phone on my lap. I stared out the window. Congratulations, Elena. You deserve it. You're beautiful, you're slim, you have everything I don't. This world really is for beautiful people, and me? I can only sit here, in my husband
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