"Hey, why are you crying all of a sudden?" Hannah asked, her heart aching as she gently wiped a tear from her friend''s cheek.


    Tess sniffled, her voice thick with emotion as she threw her arms around Hannah. "Why? Why didn''t you ever tell me any of this?"


    She buried her face in Hannah''s neck, her body shaking with silent sobs. Every time they''d talked, Tess would ask how things were, and Hannah would always say she was fine, that everything was great. Tess knew she was putting on a brave face, but no matter how much she pried or tried to read between the lines, the answer was always the same: I''m fine. I''ve moved on. It''s okay.


    Tess knew it was a lie, a way to protect her. She had imagined life was hard, that Lionel was being a monster, but she had never imagined it was this bad. She clenched her jaw to keep from wailing, but the tears wouldn''t stop.


    Hannah took a long, steadying breath and stroked her friend''s back. "Compared to what you''ve been through, this is nothing. Besides, it''s almost over. Soon, I''ll be able to join you, and we can finally have the life we always talked about. We''llmute together, go grocery shopping, have barbecues on the balcony at night. It''ll be perfect, won''t it?"


    They had so often dreamed of that future, of the beautiful life that awaited them after the divorce. The more they imagined it, the more they yearned for that day to arrive.


    After a long while, Tess'' sobs subsided, though she still clung tightly to Hannah''s


    arm.


    "Your luggage is at the hotel, right?" Hannah said. "I''ll pack my things tonight and move in with you."


    "Yes!" Tess'' face lit up. "And tonight, I''m buying wine. We''re not stopping until we''re both drunk! We deserve a good, long drink!”


    "Okay," Hannahughed. "Whatever you say."


    They spent the entire afternoon wandering through the old downtown district where they used to hang out, reminiscing about the past. As night fell, they hailed a cab to go back to Hannah''s house.


    The moment they walked in, Hannah saw Lionel sitting in the living room, a cigarette dangling from his lips. The room was thick with smoke, and she waved a hand in front of her face in disgust. This was bing a familiar scene.


    "Where have you been?" Lionel asked, his eyes lifting. He only then noticed the woman standing beside Hannah, vaguely recognizing her.


    "I''m staying with Tess for a few days," Hannah said, emphasizing her friend''s name. "I just came back to pack a bag."


    Lionel paused, stubbing out his cigarette in the ashtray before standing up. "Pack a bag to go where?"


    "A hotel," Hannah said, her patience wearing thin. "Tess is staying at a hotel so I''m going to stay with her Understand?" Her tone was clipped, and she avoided looking at him as she took Tess'' hand and started for the stairs.


    "She can stay in the guest room," Lionel said.


    Hannah stopped in her tracks, a bitter, incredulousugh escaping her lips. She spun around to face him. “Lionel, do you even hear yourself? Do you have any idea how you sound?"


    She instinctively pulled Tess behind


    her, her voice low and furious. "The only reason Tess doesn''t have a home to


    Come back to in Sova ion et


    because of you she''s forced to live in a hotel, and now you have the audacity to offer her a guest room like you''re some kind of saint?"


    Lionel remained silent, his expression unreadable.


    "You protected Sandra, you refused to trust me, and you went after Tess. You got her fired and forced her toz move halfway across the country. The fact that she was even willing to set foot in this house today took immense courage. How dare you stand there and act like nothing ever happened?"