- 3.
I waited in the living room until late, but Grant
never came home.
His phone on the coffee table remained dark.
The moonlight illuminated my desolate face.
<
I wiped away my tears, dragging my
weakened body to the kitchen.
There’s a little blood bank in my belly, and I
should have eaten, but Grant wouldn’t want
“the blood bank” to go hungry.
I ate a bowl of bland noodles.
The moment I opened my phone, Star Jones’s
latest post popped up.
To celebrate Star’s discharge, Grant took her
to the most expensive restaurant in the city,
the Imperial House.
The food alone cost more than my entire
year’s salary.
The envy wasn’t just about the cost, but
L
Grant’s attentive care.
It was a video shot by a third person.
In the video, Star was draped over Grant’s
shoulder. Grant rolled up his sleeves, served
her food, and fed it to her.
The tenderness, the pampering, was
something his wife never received.
I laughed bitterly and closed my phone.
Darkness enveloped me once more.
I groped my way upstairs.
To Grant’s studio.
I thought of important dates relating to Star
<
Jones and entered them into the combination
lock.
On the second try, the door opened.
The scene inside made me chuckle.
The studio was Grant’s forbidden territory. I
wasn’t allowed in.
I thought it held precious items.
It was thousands of portraits of Star Jones.
And the password? Star’s birthday..
I walked around the room.
Grant had known Star since she was in
school. His early paintings were less skilled,
Г
I examined every portrait before approaching
his easel. Dozens of pink envelopes were
stacked there.
I casually opened one; Grant’s passionate love
leaped out.
His love was so intense, it brought tears to
my eyes. Every word expressed his love for
Star.
I collapsed, reading letter after letter.
Eventually, my tears dried up.
But my heart felt like it was ripped open,
bleeding.
By the time I finished, the sun had risen.
L
I cleaned up, locked the door, and scheduled
an abortion for a week later.
Once the child is gone, Grant and I are over.
