Dinners out, driving her to and from work. Every single time, she was the reason we fought.
But we'd never actually settle anything—just patch it over in some foggy, exhausted truce, and then it would be Naomi again, and we'd be right back where we started. Every fight, he'd dangle calling off the wedding just to twist the knife, and somewhere in all those loops I'd used up every last scrap of hope I had.
But people are like that. You don't turn back until you've hit the wall.
I couldn't bring myself to let go of eight years with Leonard.
So I agreed to the exam. And that exam was where they found the breast cancer.
"Constance, be honest—a woman with no breasts, what's even left that makes her a woman?"
Naomi's voice cut through my thoughts.
She was covering her mouth, laughing, her eyes bright with satisfaction.
"If I were you, I wouldn't even want to be alive... Leonard even said—"
My nails dug into my palms. "Get out!"
I didn't want to hear another word from her.
After I shoved her out and shut the door, I slid down against it until I hit the floor.
Something helpless and raw crept through my chest like vines, climbing my throat, tightening until I couldn't pull in air.