Seeing my eyes fixed on their hands, he rushed to explain, “Elvira, these rings…”
“They look good on you both.”
I turned and walked away. He tried to chase after me, but Lara grabbed his arm.
“Finn, honey, didn’t you promise to take me wedding dress shopping today?”
My steps away from him became even firmer.
Soon, it was the wedding day. I checked out of the postpartum center and took a cab straight to the airport.
At the same time, Finn’s friends, along with a makeup artist and my custom wedding dress, arrived at the apartment he had rented for me.
The doorbell rang unanswered. Their loud knocking woke the neighbor across the hall.
“No one’s lived there. Are you sure you have the right apartment?”
5
The men were stunned. “What do you mean? A young woman moved in here a month ago! She looks like this.”
They showed her my picture, but the neighbor shook her head.
Chapter 2
08:30
“I’ve seen her. She’s the pretty neighbor from the next building. But I haven’t seen her since her husband died. Are you her friends?”
They realized something was wrong. They grabbed the neighbor, demanding answers. “What are you talking about? Her husband is very much alive! Did she pay you to lie to us too?”
“Tell her to come out! Her husband is fully recovered. It’s their wedding day! If she ruins the ceremony with her drama, the wedding will be postponed again!”
They shouted louder, aiming their voices at the neighbor’s door, assuming I was hiding inside. They barged into her apartment.
The neighbor tried to stop them, but it was too late.
“You people are ridiculous! You don’t know where your own friend lives, and you don’t even care that her husband is dead! Unbelie- vable!”
Ignoring her protests, they searched her apartment. Finding no trace of me, they called a locksmith, convinced I was hiding in the rental unit after all.
www wwww ww
They complained bitterly to the neighbor. “I’ve never met a woman who loves drama so much! If it weren’t for Finn, I would have left already!”
على الفن او الي ان لا اله الله الى
The neighbor fought back. “Are you really her friends? I’m telling you, she never moved in here! You should go check her old place. What if something happened to her?”
H
A
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her.” The neighbor suddenly slapped her forehead. “The last time I saw her, she was throwing out a bunch of wedding supplies. I heard her husband died. It’s so sad! Judging by all the photo albums and wedding pictures, they were very much in love. Such a shame!”
They all knew how much I cherished my memories with Finn. I had even kept the soda can tab he’d once used as a ring, stored in an expensive jewelry box. Hearing that I had thrown away bags full of our shared items, they finally realized something was seriou-
sly wrong.
The locksmith arrived and quickly opened the door. They all rushed in, only to find the apartment empty, showing no signs of habit- ation. Everything was exactly as they and Finn had left it. Even the lilies they had put in the vase were withered and rotting. The whole place smelled stale and musty.
