Monday
The week began with silence.
Ryleigh had expected to see Damien somewhere—at breakfast, passing through the hall, pacing outside of his office like he sometimes did. But there was no trace of him. His absence was a whisper through the walls, a presence that should have been there but wasn’t. She didn’t know whether to feel relieved or unsettled.
She hadn’t heard from Derek all weekend. That morning, as she wiped down the long dining room table, she checked her phone behind a candelabra. Still nothing.
She tried calling him, holding her breath as the line rang and rang… until his voicemail picked up. She listened to his voice just to hear it, then hung up without leaving a message. Something about it felt wrong. Derek always called back.
As she polished silverware in the kitchen
