US
The period for the cryogenic experiment was scheduled to last five years.
By the time it ended, I would be five years younger than Ethan. The thought was strange as time would pass for him, but for me, it would stand still.
When Ethan finally returned home the next day, his face was pale, his expression caught up
between anger and frustration.
“Claire, I didn’t think you could be this ruthless,” he spat, slamming the door behind him.
“Madeline just got pregnant, and now she’s had a miscarriage! That was my child!” His
voice cracked, filled with raw emotion. “Do you even understand how long I’ve wanted to be a
ther?”
Instinctively, my hands moved to cover my belly, as if to shield my baby from the man in front of me. I didn’t want my child to hear the kind of person their father truly was.
“So let me get this straight,” I said, my voice calm but cold. “Your affair during our marriage, and your mistress’s pregnancy–somehow, that’s my fault?”
“Ethan,” I continued, staring him down. “You’ve known Madeline for what? A month? And you’re willing to break the vows you made to me for her?”
He rubbed his temples, groaning as if he were the one being wronged. “Claire, stop throwing those vows in my face like some kind of threat!”
“And how is this infidelity?” he added, his voice rising. “I was just looking for a little physical
relief. My heart still belongs to you!”
My chest tightened as tears welled up in my eyes.
“All men are like this,” Ethan said as if it were a universal truth. “Other women can tolerate it
-why can’t you?”
The tears I’d been holding back finally spilled over, and he reached out to wipe them away. “Claire,” he said softly, his tone almost tender now. “My heart is still pure. I would never truly
betray you.”
“You should be content. Don’t talk about leaving anymore–it’s exhausting for me too,
know?”
Ethan was so convinced I was bluffing, just trying to scare him.
I looked
C
up at him and forced a smile. “Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve,” I said, my tone sweet, almost playful. “Are we still going to Iceland?”
He brightened immediately, pulling me into a hug. “Of course! I’ll book the tickets right now.” He grabbed his phone and started tapping away, already planning the trip.
“We’ll leave tomorrow,” he said, grinning. “Spend the New Year abroad. When we get back, everything will go back to normal. Just you and me.”
What he didn’t know was that I wasn’t coming back.
x+
Nasread
we ll leave tomorrow, he saiu, gminy. Spend the new real apa. Vien we yet pack, everything will go back to normal. Just you and me.”
What he didn’t know was that I wasn’t coming back.
The airport was packed the next morning. Holiday travelers were rushing to catch their flights. Meanwhile, Ethan and I checked in without issue, but just as we reached the gate, his phone started buzzing relentlessly.
It was Madeline Brooks.
He hesitated but eventually picked up. I stood there, listening as he tried to calm her down.
“Madeline, I can’t talk right now,” he said in a low voice, glancing at me. But whatever she
said on the other end made him tense up.
“Claire, I’m sorry,” he said, turning to me with a forced smile. “Looks like you’ll have to go on
this trip alone.”
“Madeline said if I don’t see her, she’ll sue you for intentional harm. I can’t let that happen-
not for your sake.”
Even now, he framed his betrayal as though it were some selfless act for my benefit.
“Ethan,” I said quietly, “if you walk away right now, you’ll never see me again.”
He chuckled, ruffling my hair like I was a child throwing a tantrum. “Don’t talk nonsense,
Claire. I’ll be back before you know it.”
Without another word, he turned and walked out of the airport.
Minutes after he left, the boarding process began. Then, as the plane taxied down the
runway, a deafening explosion rocked the airport. Flames erupted into the sky as the plane crashed to the ground.
It was the flight to Iceland.
