My Husband's Leaving LetterCHAPTER 1

The house was eerily silent. My breath caught in my throat as I stood frozen, staring at the envelope resting on the kitchen counter. It was out of place. A small, elegant thing, too neat for something that felt so heavy. The kind of envelope that you could never ignore, no matter how much you wanted to.

I hadn’t heard him leave. No keys. No footsteps. Nothing. Just this.

It couldn’t be. He wouldn’t. Not like this.

The room seemed to stretch and warp around me as I walked toward it, the letter seeming to grow larger with every step. My fingers hesitated for a split second before they reached for it. The paper was cold, too cold, and as I pulled it from the counter, I felt a sudden wave of dread wash over me.

I knew it was from him. Even without looking at the writing, I could feel Marco’s presence in the room, in the letter. But he wasn’t here. I was alone.

I turned the envelope over, the handwriting on the front unmistakable: Celia. My name.

A chill ran down my spine. There was no stamp. No return address. Only this.