THE WOMAN IN THE PICTURE
1100 Words
Chapter Two
The message stayed on my screen long after I had read it
I didn’t even realize the car had stopped until the driver spoke
“Ma’am… we’re here”
His voice sounded distant, like it was coming from somewhere far away
I blinked and looked up slowly, my surroundings unfamiliar, a quiet street lined with modern apartment buildings, neat, expensive, and completely impersonal
Of course Ethan would choose somewhere like this
Clean
Simple
Easy to forget
“Ma’am” the driver called again gently
“Yeah… sorry” I murmured, finally pushing the door open and stepping out
The air felt different here, lighter somehow, but it didn’t make anything better
If anything, it made the emptiness more obvious
I stood there for a moment, my phone still in my hand, the screen dimming but not enough to hide the image that had just changed everything
That woman
Who was she
And more importantly… how long had she been there
I forced myself to move, dragging my suitcase behind me as I walked into the building
Everything inside was exactly what I expected
Minimal
Quiet
Perfect
Not a single trace of me anywhere
It felt like I had been replaced before I even left
The apartment door opened with a soft click, and I stepped inside
For a second, I just stood there, taking it in
Fully furnished
Everything arranged
Everything ready
Like Ethan had already planned my life after him
A small, bitter laugh escaped my lips
“Of course you did” I muttered under my breath
I dropped my bag by the door and walked further in, my steps slow, my thoughts louder than anything around me
The silence pressed in on me
Too quiet
Too empty
I pulled out my phone again before I could stop myself
The message was still there
The picture still staring back at me
I zoomed in this time
The woman was beautiful
Not just pretty, but the kind of beauty that demanded attention
Sharp features
Confident smile
Eyes that looked like they already knew they had won
My jaw tightened slightly
So this was it
This was why
Not “time”
Not “arrangement”
Her
My fingers hovered over the screen for a second before I tapped on the number
I didn’t even think about it
I just called
It rang once
Twice
Then the line connected
“Hello”
Her voice was smooth, almost amused
Like she had been expecting this
I didn’t speak immediately
I wanted to hear it again
To confirm
This was real
“Are you going to say something” she continued, a soft laugh following “Or did you just call to listen to my voice”
My grip on the phone tightened
“Who are you” I asked finally
There was a pause
Then
“I was wondering how long it would take you to ask that”
Her tone didn’t change, still light, still confident
“Answer the question”
“Relax” she said calmly “You’ll get your answer”
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay calm even though everything in me wanted to snap
“I’m listening”
Another soft laugh
“Let’s just say… I’m the reason you’re no longer Mrs. Blackwood”
The words hit exactly where she intended them to
Slow
Precise
Cruel
“That doesn’t tell me anything” I replied coldly
“It tells you enough”
Silence stretched between us for a moment
Then she added, more casually this time
“Ethan doesn’t like repeating himself, does he”
My breath caught slightly
That line
She said it so easily
Like she had heard it before
Like she knew him
Really knew him
“How long” I asked, my voice quieter now, but sharper
“Hmm” she hummed thoughtfully “Does it matter”
“It does to me”
“Three years”
The answer came just like that
No hesitation
No guilt
Three years
My heart dropped
“That’s not possible” I said immediately
But even as I said it, something in me knew it could be true
Because Ethan had never been a man who did anything halfway
“Believe whatever makes you feel better” she said lightly “But I don’t lie about things like this”
My hand trembled slightly, and I tightened my grip on the phone to hide it, even though she couldn’t see me
“So you’ve just been… waiting” I said slowly
“Not waiting” she corrected “Planning”
Planning
The word sent a chill down my spine
“And now that you’ve signed the papers, everything is finally falling into place” she continued
Something about the way she said it didn’t sit right with me
Falling into place
Like this wasn’t just about a relationship
Like there was more
“What do you want” I asked
Her laugh this time was softer, almost like she was enjoying this
“I already have what I want”
“Then why contact me”
Another pause
Then
“Because you deserve to know what you lost”
My chest tightened painfully
“I didn’t lose anything” I said, even though the words felt hollow
“Didn’t you” she replied smoothly
Before I could respond, she added one more thing
Something that made my entire body go still
“You really thought you were just his wife” she said quietly “That’s cute”
My brows furrowed
“What does that mean”
But she didn’t answer immediately
Instead, I heard something on her end
A door opening
Footsteps
Then a familiar voice in the background
Deep
Calm
Unmistakable
Ethan
My heart slammed against my chest
“Are you still on the phone” his voice came through faintly
“Just finishing up” she replied softly
Softly
Not the way she had been speaking to me
Different
Intimate
My stomach dropped
“Put it on speaker” he said
My breath caught
No
No way
There was a slight pause
Then suddenly, his voice came through clearly
Closer
Too close
“Lena”
My name
From him
Through her phone
Everything inside me froze
Because the next thing he said…
Made it impossible to b
reathe
“Since you’ve already signed the divorce papers” he continued calmly
“You should also know…”
A small pause
Just long enough to break something inside me
Then
“You were never supposed to survive this far”
- Writer
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