The silence had grown thicker between them. Days passed, and Augustus's coldness continued to consume him, as though the moment he had shut her out, he had shut off any semblance of care or consideration for Evelyn. It wasn’t long before he began to spend more time with Katherine, who had now become a regular presence in the mansion.

Where before Evelyn had always hoped that something might change, now she could feel the distance between her and Augustus stretch even further, pulling them apart in ways that she couldn’t mend. Every evening, she could hear the sounds of laughter and conversation—laughter that was not meant for her ears.

She had tried to ignore it at first, telling herself it was nothing. She had no right to be jealous, no right to demand anything from him after the way she had spoken to him. But as days turned into weeks, the sting of his relationship with Katherine grew unbearable. And then one night, the unbearable became something far worse.

---

Evelyn had returned home late that evening, her head heavy with thoughts of the merger, the demands of her office, and the ever-growing emptiness of her marriage. The drive back from work had been exhausting, and the cold, dark evening seemed to mirror the void in her heart. As she pulled into the driveway of the mansion, she noticed the lights were brighter than usual. Augustus was home.

For a moment, she told herself that she would just go upstairs, ignore him as she had been doing, and get some rest. But as she stepped out of the car and walked towards the front door, she heard something.

Laughter. 

The sound was so familiar, yet it struck her in a way it never had before. It was Augustus's laugh, deep and warm, followed by a woman's voice, soft and playful. Katherine’s voice.

Her heart skipped a beat. She felt an inexplicable unease settle in her stomach. Evelyn told herself it was nothing, that she was overreacting, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

She entered the mansion, silently walking through the hallway, hoping to avoid any awkward confrontation. But as she moved deeper into the house, her breath caught in her throat.

There, in the dimly lit living room, was the most dreadful sight she could have imagined. Augustus was sitting on the large leather couch, a glass of whiskey in his hand, looking relaxed and at ease. And sitting on his lap, one arm wrapped around his neck, was Katherine. Her fingers traced his jawline, and Katherine was kissing his neck—soft, tender kisses that were far too intimate. Augustus didn’t push her away. Instead, he seemed to lean into her touch, his free hand resting lightly on her waist.

Evelyn stood frozen in the doorway, unable to process what she was seeing. Her mind screamed for her to leave, to turn away, but her legs felt as though they were glued to the floor. This was wrong. The man she had once hoped to build a life with—he was here, wrapped up in another woman’s arms. The mansion that was supposed to be theirs, where they were meant to build memories together, was now filled with the sight of Augustus with Katherine, laughing, kissing, being everything Evelyn had never been to him.

Her chest tightened, her heart constricting painfully as the truth hit her like a physical blow. He loved Katherine. He had always loved her. He had made it clear to Evelyn when they were married that there would never be anything between them, that he only cared for Katherine. Yet, witnessing it with her own eyes, seeing them together, felt like the deepest betrayal.

It was not the love he had for Katherine that hurt—it was the fact that, for so long, Evelyn had been living in a house with someone who no longer cared for her, someone who had never cared in the way she had hoped. All the moments she had spent trying to bridge the gap, all the times she had put herself out there, only for him to push her further away, now felt pointless.

Her chest ached with the weight of it, the hollow feeling of being discarded, replaced.

She couldn’t breathe. Her throat tightened, and before she knew it, tears began to pool in her eyes. Evelyn wasn’t the type of woman who cried easily. She had always prided herself on being strong, independent, unshakable. But seeing this—the betrayal, the coldness of it—was more than she could bear.

And then the first tear fell.

Evelyn blinked, wiping her face with the back of her hand, but the tears kept coming, one after the other, each more uncontrollable than the last. She felt exposed, vulnerable in a way she had never been before. She had no control over her emotions, and that terrified her.

Augustus didn’t notice her at first. He was too consumed with Katherine, too caught up in his own world. And that made it worse. The fact that he didn’t even care enough to acknowledge her presence—just like he hadn’t for the past weeks—was a slap in the face.

When he finally noticed her standing in the doorway, it was as if he was shocked out of his reverie. His eyes flickered to hers, but there was no guilt, no apology. He didn’t even look guilty. He looked almost… relieved. As if he had been waiting for this moment, waiting for her to finally leave.

Katherine turned her head to see what Augustus was looking at, and when she saw Evelyn, she simply smiled, as if it was perfectly normal for her to be there, on Augustus’s lap, while his wife stood in the doorway.

Evelyn’s vision blurred with tears, but her steps were steady. She turned, slowly, her heart breaking with every second. She didn’t want to be here anymore, not in this house, not with him, not with any of it. It was over. The life she had once dreamed of, the life she had tried to force into being, was gone. 

She didn’t say a word as she walked away, her footsteps echoing through the hall. The door slammed behind her with a finality that sealed the fate of everything.

She had to leave. She couldn’t stay in this place anymore. Not with the ghosts of her broken marriage haunting every corner.

---

Evelyn walked quickly, her steps sharp and urgent, though her heart felt like it was being ripped from her chest. The cold night air did nothing to numb the pain. She didn’t care about the world around her, didn’t care about the empty mansion she was leaving behind. She had to get away. Away from him. Away from the life that was never hers to begin with.

She hailed a cab, her fingers trembling as she fumbled for her phone. Her mind was a blur of conflicting thoughts, but there was one thing she knew for certain. She needed time. Space. Away from the constant reminder of her failed marriage.

The cab ride felt like it took forever, the city lights flickering past her as if the world was moving too fast for her to catch up. When she arrived at her apartment, she didn’t hesitate. She unlocked the door, stepped inside, and collapsed onto the couch.

Her hands went to her face, wiping away the last of her tears, but she could still feel the rawness of everything that had happened. She couldn’t stay alone in this. She needed her best friend, Hazel. She needed someone who understood, someone who would listen without judgment.

Quickly, she grabbed her phone and called Hazel. 

“Hazel,” she choked out, her voice barely above a whisper. “I need you. Can you come over? I… I need to talk.” 

Hazel, always the understanding one, didn’t hesitate. “Of course. I’ll be there in twenty.”

Evelyn hung up the phone, sinking deeper into the couch, feeling the weight of the past few months finally crashing down on her.