The Tender Unlasting

Next came sounds that were too much to bear.

My heart was in agony, nearly choking me. I could not take it anymore and stumbled away.

Once I had regained some composure, I headed back to the party.

From a distance, I saw Macie and Franklin walking down the corridor, one after the other.

Franklin spotted me first.

Seizing the moment before Macie caught on, he approached. "Mr. Jones, I'm the one who sent those texts. They're just snapshots of my everyday life with Ms. Henderson."

I gave him a once-over, my face betraying nothing. "I'm aware."

His smile did not waver as he dropped another bombshell. "There's something you don't know. Ms. Henderson is pregnant."

That stopped me in my tracks. For years, I had been hoping for a child with Macie, but to no avail. Then, she was carrying another man's child.

A bitter laugh escaped me as I replied, "Well, that's wonderful news."

He looked at me, disbelief etched on his face. "That's it?"

"What more can I say? I'm all in for divorcing Macie, just as long as you can make her agree."

I inhaled sharply, my voice icy as I added, "This is your one shot. If you want to rise to the top, you've got to team up with me."

Franklin stayed quiet for a moment before he finally responded, "Alright, I'm in. We'll work together."

…

I did not bother saying goodbye to Macie. I just walked out of the event.

By the time she got home, it was the middle of the night.

Drunk and smelling of booze, she hugged me from behind, but all I caught was the scent of someone else's perfume.

Love and marriage had filled up half my life, and then, that was the sorry end to it all.

I turned around and saw the love bites on her neck, and my heart sank into an icy, empty place.

I was not sure how Franklin pulled it off, but within an hour of me handing over the divorce papers, he had Macie's signature on them.

"Ms. Henderson doesn't even know what she's signed. You're free to do as you please now," he told me.

That suited me just fine. It meant that I did not have to waste any more energy on Macie.

On my last day, a new visa from the embassy was delivered to the office.

The receptionist, clueless about what was going on, handed it to Macie.

She opened it, totally baffled, and called me up.

"Honey, did your visa expire? Why'd you get a new one?"

I felt a pang of anxiety and quickly steered the conversation away. "Just thought I'd renew it early, you know, to avoid any hassle later."

She did not dwell on it, probably too caught up in her fling with Franklin.

"Tomorrow's your birthday. Got any special wishes? Do you feel like going out, or would you rather keep it low-key at home?"

I paused, the words heavy on my tongue. "Why don't we have dinner at home? It's been ages since we've had a quiet meal together."

Memories of our shared struggles over the years washed over me, leaving a bittersweet ache in my chest.

I used to believe we would be side by side for life, but life, it seemed, had other plans.

The very next morning, Macie was up at dawn, claiming work demanded her presence at the office.

As she was about to leave, I called out to her and asked, "Macie, will you be back on time?"

"I will!"

However, her eyes darted away, clouded with confusion and guilt.

"This is the last time I'll wait," I said, a silent ultimatum hanging in the air.

She paused, a flicker of something in her gaze, but she did not grasp the weight of my words. With a forced smile, she stepped out the door.

She never returned that day.

Deep down, I knew she was with Franklin, tending to his feigned illness, her care for him crossing lines that should never have been crossed.

I took one last look at the intimate photo Franklin had sent, erased her from my phone and my life, and slipped away from Hushington under the cover of night.