My body ached. Every muscle screamed in protest. My head throbbed. I leaned against the closed

ed in my hand, buzzed

voice raw. "W

s having another episode because of you, Julia! You just had to ma

I hadn' t said a word on the phone earlier. I was b

accusation. "Her heart rate is through the roof. She' s terrifi

nic. He was truly worried. Not for me, shivering and

, cutting across his rant. My v

footing. "I' m where I need to be. With Kandice. Making sure she' s okay. Which

lying. Afte

ng about you. Can' t you see I' m trying to build a career for us? For our future? These connecti

imes I don' t know why I put up with you. No one

ou, because of this whole mess, I can' t leav

he line

n in the dark, unlit screen of my phone. My face was pale, streaked with dirt and rain. A fr

me once more. He hung up. He

too emotional, too demanding, too sensitive. Three years of his gaslighting, his subtle dig

ds, your own personality, to please the other person. I thought that if I just loved him

about being invisible while someone else basked in his spotlight. Love, I finally understood, had its li

erate. I found the first aid kit, cleaned my scraped kn

s time, I called a different number.

ne of the turmoil inside me. "About that five-year

nd. "Julia! That' s wonderful news! I thought you were

home, now feeling like a cage. "But it seems my fiancé and I have co

vies said, his voice genuinely pleased. "It'

ure," I replied, convict

e I kept all the mementos of our relationship. Pictures. Cards. The small, silver locket he'

inged. Kan

id-fire seri

He even held my hand and said he wished he could jus

rson in his life right now. Can you believ

but it's too complicated. I told him he shouldn't

so powerful. And he just brought me some expensive chocola

, a profound sense of peace washed over me. I lo

inked softly against the other refuse. The pictures, the cards-they followed.

pty. It was full. Full of quiet triu