When the Heart Dies
Grandma lay bedridden, her dementia taking hold as she repeated Scarlett Hayes's name over and over.
Tears streamed down my face as I dialed my wife's number.
When she picked up, Scarlett sounded irritated. She said she was working late tonight and would call me back when she was free.
I could clearly hear the sound of a man's laughter in the background. The moment I hung up, Grandma gasped sharply.
She called out my wife's name. It was her last breath.
While I sat drowning in grief, Scarlett's male best friend Chase Morrison posted a video update, geotagged at a couples' hotel.
In the video, their fingers were laced together. The woman's arm bore a distinctive black mole I recognized instantly.
The caption read: "When two hearts become one, why care what anyone else thinks?"
In that moment, my heart turned to ash. I gritted my teeth and left a comment.
"Let's file for divorce tomorrow. Then you two can be together openly and legally. You'll even save on the hotel fees. Win-win, right?"