In the end, Nathan abandoned Camille and all their wedding guests and hurried home.
When he opened the door, the house was dark.
There was no warm soup and no light left on in the living room.
He sat on the couch and waited, his eyes hollow.
The clock struck midnight.
A sudden banging sound made him look up sharply. He sprang up and wrenched open the front door, but no one was there.
Only then did he realize the night wind was rattling one of the windows.
At last, Nathan could no longer deceive himself.
He turned on the light and saw that Ivy's slippers were missing from the shoe rack.
In the bedroom, he pulled open the closet. Both sections that had belonged to her were bare. Not a single piece of clothing remained.
Every trace of her had vanished from the house.
His hand shook
