I Painted My Husband's Affair for the World to See

What would William's face look like when he saw me.

But he never once looked down, never even turned his eyes my way.

He just walked off, holding Imogen's hand.

Only after the crowd had really thinned did I haul myself up, one whole side of me dusted with grass.

The ring was gone for good, swallowed into the dark.

I brushed the dirt and grass off myself,

and saw William a little way off, cradling Imogen's wrist, checking it over.

"This is my fault, I held on too hard. Does it hurt?"

Imogen smiled.

"It doesn't hurt. Just thinking that you're going to give me the wedding of my dreams makes it stop hurting."

"I know we can't really get married right now, but if you'll just walk through the whole thing with me once, it'll be enough to live on for half my life."

I watched them leave, and I photographed their backs, their joined hands,

and posted it to my feed.

"So it turns out there are people whose love is this beautiful."

Location: Charleston.

After I got into the car,

William called, his voice frantic.

"You really came to Charleston, where are you right now?"

"It's not that I didn't want you to come, but you could have let me pick you up."

I said nothing, which only made him more anxious.

"Immy, are you angry?"

"I just suddenly got into the historic-garden thing, so I came to take a look. I saw a couple just now who were really sweet, so I took a picture. Why?"

On his end, there was the hard click of a heel stamping the ground.

Imogen couldn't stand the way he treated me.

"Then in a few days we'll head home together?"

William asked, testing, like he was waiting for me to say something.

And I only said,

"Sure."

The second before I hung up, I heard Imogen shout.

"So she knows, she knows! Even if it's all out in the open, she's just one woman, she won't dare do anything!"

That's right. She knows, so she knows.

Sooner or later it had to come out anyway.

I wasn't angry. I just used my tablet to sketch the rough draft of the comic.

On the day of William and Imogen's dream wedding,

not many people came, all of them people who knew about the two of them.

Because I'd drawn the comic for Imogen,

she'd invited me to come watch as well.

I went in early and loaded the comic onto the projector.

Just then, William walked in holding Imogen's hand.

She had her arm looped through his, smiling like she was showing off.

"I hired this teacher off the lifestyle app who's amazing at drawing couples comics, and she came today too."

"She drew out our whole story. I bet you'll be moved to tears in a bit."

At first William was smiling too, until he turned his head and saw a familiar figure,

and his steps stopped cold.

Even his voice came out wrong.

"That artist you hired, what's her name?"

"She's called Cloud Freda... why that face, what's wrong with the name?"

As Imogen said it, she turned her eyes toward the projector,

and in an instant her face went ashen.

"What is this?!"

I turned around and pressed play.

Smiling, I said to them,

"Honey, why didn't you invite me to your wedding?"