More Than a Mistress, Less Than a Wife

ully" ensured Ethan signed, hidden amongst company doc

she thought they had, th

self, for the future sh

victim in her own

r independent li

ned blissfu

n small ways, to

lack of response to

being "moody" or "still u

ive of a world where she

astounding, and

re cleaner, if not

ontinued her Oscar-

y, sighing deeply, wh

overwhelmed sometimes. Th

r side, his brow fu

? Are you okay? Do

m, a bitter tas

, was now entirely consumed by

an found Liv pac

d, a flicker of something – an

er, Chloe called out

me a glass of water? And maybe

napped back to

ng, C

rsory glance. "W

re would be no "

knelt by Chloe, gently ma

lly, his voice soft an

r," Liv thought, a strange, de

good father to

been a good h

heavily, a final accep

epared to leave for good, E

sk of confusion a

you doing? Do

was raw,

eas fell o

her that had loved him, that

shell where tha

him, her eyes

e shrieked fro

... I think it's the b

ead whipp

nce at Liv, he bolte

! I'm

tched

emergency, anoth

for it, ever

he wanted to

g the truth of what he h

ped out into the night, leav

r's office to finalize e

e city, mirroring the turm

e taxi window, blurrin

r the first time in a long time, she fel

have be

small bureau

ore days before the divorce was off

dip in her spirits,

ed it ov

to sever th

lawyer's office, t

h the clouds, washing the c

k a dee

wasn't a

nt to gather her stren

ure was

t one last time to collect a

he master bedroom

rmur, Chloe's

ng their new life, in th

intruder in what

a fever took

uest room, shive

ched for the glass of water on

shattering o

ne c

likely doting on Chloe, ob

sick and utte

as a physical ac

faced, sharp

e'd had the f

en by her si

d to her, held her hand, his

v. I'll take

r memory and her current realit

than w

had never t