THE DARKNESS
Andrew arrived three hours later. He entered the small apartment. The light suddenly switched on.
She was sitting on the sofa, still wearing the dress. Red against the gray of the cheap fabric.
Andrew didn't see his wife. He saw a disaster.
“Do you know how humiliating that was?” His voice was harsh, devoid of any concern. “Everyone was talking. Gregory, Patricia’s husband, is my business partner. You made me look like a fool.”
Graciela felt a slow burning sensation rise up her chest.
“Did I make you look like a fool?” His voice was a fragile thread. “They kicked me out for being poor, Andrew. They humiliated me. And you stayed there.”
“What did you expect me to do?” Andrew loosened his tie, the silk knot flying across the table. “You shouldn’t have worn that cheap dress. I told you these events were different.”
“You gave me two hundred dollars. What am I supposed to do with that?”
“That’s not my problem,” he said, his face rigid. He went to the bedroom. “Perhaps you shouldn’t have come.”
The door closed. A final sound.
Graciela was left alone. She didn't cry anymore. The pain had turned into a cold clarity, like freshly cut glass.
Andrew didn't love her. He used her. She was the convenient wife. The woman who didn't demand designer handbags or expensive dinners. She was cheap to maintain. The rich man who wanted to keep his money for himself.
She remained in that darkness for three days. She missed work at the library. Andrew avoided her. Their marriage was a silence filled with unspoken accusations.
She wondered if she had the strength to leave. Her savings were ridiculously small. Where could she go?
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