She Was Already Gone
DYLAN The heavy double doors remained shut, their polished brass handles gleaming beneath the chandeliers. Voices and laughter leaked faintly from the ballroom beyond them, muffled by thick wood and expensive decor. I fixed my tie and flexed my fingers, my gaze falling to the silver band wrapped around my left hand. Married. The words still felt unreal. Heavy. Permanent. I rubbed my thumb against the ring, trying to settle the storm churning in my chest. In a few seconds, those doors would open, and I’d walk into a room full of smiling faces beside Sherry as her husband. A fresh start. A clean slate. That’s what tonight was supposed to be. Then I heard her voice. “Dylan.” Every muscle in my body locked. Slowly, I turned to my right, and the air caught painfully in my lungs. Julia s
- Writer
