But the minutes stretched into hours and the coldness in my chest deepened. When the party ended, I saw him walk out with Kate in his arms. She leaned against him, her face flushed and they laughed as if they were the only two people in the world.
I stood hidden in the shadows, my heart aching with every second that passed.
Brian, who once took a year to let me share a bed with him and two years to consummate our marriage, now cradled another woman like it was the easiest thing in the world. He even carried her coat and held her so close. Tears blurred my vision as a question screamed in my mind: If you never cared for me, why did you marry me in the first place?
Kate’s soft voice broke through the silence.
“Brian, don’t we have a chance?” she asked, her words laced with a delicate, flirtatious tone.
I waited for his answer, not daring to blink, but the cold night air was my only companion. As the wind whipped around me, my body faltered and I fell to the ground, my fevered state finally taking its toll.