A Perfect Lie

e walked into was empty, not just of Ava, but of her presence. The air felt thin. He moved from

her name a

silence

aper sat perfectly centered. It was a divorce agreement. Her signature, eleg

se, his car keys already in his hand. He drove first to her favorite bookstore, then to the little

of the city. He' d poured millions into it, a glass and steel structure surrounded by trees, a sanctuary for her talent.

table was clear, her canvases were gone. Everything that made it hers had vanished. He sank ont

act spot a year ago, him holding her from behind, her laughing as

ned in his arms to face him, her eyes holding his w

e had said, her voice low and steady.

ng her close. "You'll neve

, a judgment he couldn't escape. He had

indow of a taxi. The city lights blurred past, a smear of colors in

she said, h

e other end was her twin sister

"From now on, there is

Olivia promised. "Just focus on

of habit. An old article popped up in her feed, a feature from a local magazine published six mont

e for his 'brilliant' and 'soulmate' wife. It mentioned the studio

been a perfect lie. She closed the app, the screen going dark, reflecting a face that was