He opened the door for her and she walked out with a heavy heart.
As the door closes behind her, enclosing the man she no longer knew, Margaret walks down the hallway, the rhythmic clicking of her heels now slower. Her fingers curl around the edges of her purse, her nails digging into the leather as she stops in front of Tom’s desk.
The buzz of the city seemed to fade to a distant murmur, leaving her with the echo of Tom’s disinterest ringing in her ears. She looked up at the sky, tears in her eyes.
“Tom!” she called softly when he emerged several minutes later, buttoning his coat against the chill of the air. “I thought maybe we could… you know, have a little surprise tonight. At home.”
But Tom brushed his efforts aside. “That sounds nice, Marge, but I have this mound of paperwork,” he said. “I’m going to have a sleepless night. I probably won’t be home until tomorrow morning.”
continued on next page
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