IN THE AFTERMATH
272 Words
**Episode 3: In the Aftermath**
The days following that conversation felt like a blur. Hannah had moved into the spare bedroom, though she hadn’t packed her things yet. She couldn’t bring herself to do it. Each day was a painful reminder of the life they had built together and the slow, inevitable destruction of it. They still spoke, but it was brief, detached, like two strangers who had once shared a life and now couldn’t find a way back to it.
One afternoon, as she sat at the kitchen table sipping her coffee, Hannah’s phone rang. She glanced at the screen, surprised to see her best friend, Lily, calling.
“Hey,” she said, trying to sound normal, though her voice trembled.
“Hannah, what’s going on with you and Ryan?” Lily asked, her voice full of concern. “I’ve never seen you like this before. You’re not answering my calls, and I—”
“We’re getting a divorce,” Hannah said bluntly, cutting her friend off. The words felt foreign, even as they escaped her lips. “We’ve been talking about it for weeks. I think it’s finally happening.”
There was a long pause on the other end. “Oh, Han... I’m so sorry. I had no idea it was this bad. Is there anything I can do?”
Hannah wiped a tear from her cheek, not bothering to hide it. “I don’t even know what to do anymore, Lily. I don’t know if I can do this.”
Lily’s voice softened. “You don’t have to do it alone. I’m here for you. Always.”
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- Writer
