Chapter 2
Chapter 2
sat frozen in the back of the cat her mind empty yet somehow overflowing with thoughts she couldn’t grasp. The city lights blued outside the window, smudges of color against the darkness. She hadn’t given the driver any direction beyond that single word “Trse”
Maam? The drivers voce broke through her haze need to know where we’re going”
Amelia bleked, realning they had been
they had been driving in circles for nearly an hour Her throat felt tight, as invisible hands were squeezing
vetlake Endge” she said, her voice hollow Take me to the Westlake Bridge
The drivers yes met hers in the mirror Something like concern flickered across his face, but he nodded and turned the car toward the bridge
dagan She stared at numb. More messages from her children
Her phone buzzed i
make this hard
medont make this hander mani needs to be
“We are you, but Dad deserves this chance!
grotte makes them happy. We want everyone to be happy
Happy The word echoed in her mind, mocking her what about her happens? Twenty years of her e, poured into a family that had discarded her like she meant nothing
The car slowed to a stop near the edge of the bridge Rain had started to fal, soft drops pattering against the windows
“Wettere, ma at the driver said, his voice genter than before Would you emetown?
a locked at him, thus dranger who showed more concem than her own family had “No” she whispered. You can go
He hestated traning Are you sure you don’t want me to
Please cum off “Jul”
Shaded money far more than the fare required Heyes widened but he took it without comment.
Take care of yourse maanted as she stepped out into the an
Chapter 2.
Ameldt answer She stood on the sidewalk, watching as the carstallights disappeared into the night. Then she turned toward the bridge, her steps low and heavy
The Westkedge stretched before her, its lights reflecting off the water below. At this late hour, few cars passed She walked to the middle of the pedestrian path, her clothes growing heavier with each step as the rain soaked through them.
She reached theralling and gropped it with both hands. The metal cold against her skin. Below, the dark water churned, angry and restless.
Twenty years of waking up next to Richard, of kissing him goodbye in the mornings, of waiting for him to come home at night. Twenty years of planning surprise parties, of nursing him through inesses of celebrating his promotions and consoling him through setbacks.
Twenty years of sing the children. Of midnight feedings and diaper changes. Of scraped knees and school plays. Of homework help and driving lessons. Of college applications and graduation ceremonies
Twenty years of her life, given freely, willingly, lovingly
Your things are packed. The house belongs to Charlotte now”
A sob tore from her throat, barely audible over the ram and the occasional carpassing behind her. Her legs trembled, threatening to give way beneath her..
se looked down at her hands at the wedding ing still on her finger. The diamond caught the
ight the light, sparking despite the darkness surrounding it. She twisted it off, holding it be
in her thumb and forefinger.
They are of gold had once meant everything to har,
ng to her. A promise A future. We built on love and trust
Sie die her arm back, ready to throw to the water below but something stopped her Nol sentimental, no, that had been crushed the moment Richard walked into the
into the restaurant with Charlotte Instead, a cot hard thought formed in her medsworth money Money she would neet.
and neck. She don’t bother wiping it away. What did it matter if she was wel?
wat we? What did anything matter angiote
through the in
stake Bridge What are you doing there?”
kan emerything banker fa
wanted to controbar movements
She didn’t respond instead, she scrolled through her contacts searching for someone, anyone she could call. A friend, a relative, anyone who might take her in at least for tonight.
But who? Most of her friends were Richards friends too, or the wives of his cofeagues. Her parents had passed years ago. Hester led across the country with her own family
She was alone Completely utterly alone.
the relation hit her with physical force, making her stumble back from the rating. She had spent so many years being Richard’s wife, the children’s mother, that she had forgotten how to be Amela, Just Amela
She had no career to fallback on that would earnering No home to No family to support her
She was fourly years old and she had to start over from nothing
The weight of it crushed her. Herkes gave way, and she sank to the wet concrete of the bridge walkway. The rain mod withi Tears until she could all which was which
Her phone buzzed again
And again. And again
Richard “Ansem me Amda
Richard You’re being childish”
ughed, a broken sound that echoed across the empty bridge. The children were word? The same children who had known about the father’s attain and said nothing? The same children who had helped plan here? -turned to sobis, wrenching from deep in her chest. Secured into herself, arma wrapped around her middle as if she could physically hold herself together when everything inside her was falling a
have been setting there for minutes or hours, he couldnt
es or hours, he couldnt tel The rain continued to fall colder noe, and her body shered incontrolat
squatted, leaving behind a hollow emptiness She stood on
kyles and walked back to thing. The water below looked darker now, mo
Or perhaps more ding
forward her upper body tanging per the edge. The metara dug into her stomach, but sherly What was more pan, whether ante being was already shattered
one moment of courage on push over the edge and would all over more pan No monetetrayal Nomore starting over from othing at forty five
Just peace Quat Anand to this wing agony that Breatened to consume
bued her eyes, har grigionering kosting The wind whipped around
Tugging at her clothes, ki
She thought
( children. Not as they were now these strangers who had betrayed her, but as they had been. Julia, with her gap–toothed smile and pigtails. Ethan, serious and kind, always bringing her wildflowers from the garden. Mia, with her infectious laughi
She thought of the life she had buit. The home she had created. The love she had given, so freely, so completely
And she thought of Richard. Not the man who had across from her at the restaurant, cold and distant, but the man she had fallen in love with. The man who had once looked at her like she was his whole world.
Something inside her shifted. Not healing no that would take much longer, but a tiny spark of somethingese Somenting that felt almost like anger
should she be the one to disappear? Why should she be the one to give up? Why should they get to live their lives, happy and unburdened while she became nothing more than a sad memory?
gripped the railing tighter, her knuckles white with the effort. She would not give them that satisfaction. She would not let them win
But the thought came too late Her foot slipped on the wel concrete and for a terrible moment, she felt horsefaling forward, the railing no longer enough to keep her on the bridge
The powed. Shes the water below, dark and unforgiving She heard the stand sound of a car hom. She felt the rain on her face, cold and relentles
That want how it was supposed to end Not ku tha. Not because i
Just as her body tipped over the edge, a hand shot out, grabbing her wrist with surprising strength. The pro was firm unyielding Aman’s hand
body suspended for enfying moment between life and death, e dark water still calling to her from below Rain lasted against her face as the dangled her fata held in a stranger’s grasp
straining against her weight. Amel at herself being dragged back from the bank, back to a world she konger wanted to be part of
Her eyes, Blued at rain and tears, could make out nothing but the shoutte of a man against the dimbridge lights. Hihans, warm respite the cold night, held ones her with a determination she could not understand back tow and the safety of the bridge, Amelia’s mind filed with conflicting emo Reel Desappontment Anger Confusion
yamayed
Why coulded they all just let her go?
The many fingers tightened around her wrist, an anchor in the storm that had become far be
