I stood in the hallway, letting out a long, heavy sigh. The air already felt lighter. I grabbed my cell phone from the console table. I opened the group chat with my three closest friends—women who had watched me shrink over the last six months and had been waiting patiently for me to wake up.
I typed: Girls, is the beer deal still on for today?
Three seconds later, my phone vibrated in my palm. The answers flooded in like a lifeline.
Of course!
*We’ll be waiting for you at The Rusty Anchor!*
*Today we toast to being single!*
I walked to the hall mirror. I pulled out a tube of cherry-red lipstick I hadn’t worn in a year. I applied it carefully, pressing my lips together. I looked at the woman in the reflection. She looked tired, yes, but her eyes were bright.
I grabbed my keys.
I grabbed my leather bag.
And, most importantly, I grabbed my dignity.
As I placed my hand on the doorknob, I heard his desperate, strained voice echoing from behind the thin bathroom door.
“Where are you going?!” he yelled over the sound of the exhaust fan.
I smiled at my reflection one last time.
“To a meeting,” I called back, my voice echoing down the hallway.
I paused briefly before opening the door, savoring the final twist of the knife.
“The important ones… you know. Synergy.”
I stepped out into the crisp morning air. As I pulled the front door shut behind me, my eyes fell on the hallway floor. In his frantic, agonizing sprint, his phone had slipped from his tailored trousers. It lay there on the hardwood, right beneath the console table. Suddenly, the screen blazed to life in the dim light. A text notification popped up, clear as day.
Carolina.
*Where are you? I’m waiting in the lobby. You’re late.*
I smiled, pulled the heavy oak door shut, and turned the lock, leaving the phone ringing on the cold floor. Let her wait.
