What Separates Me and You

Chapter 1 Afraid of Being Forgotten

Josephine Vance stared at the clock on the wall. By the time it struck 12, the food on the table had gone cold again.

She took the dishes into the kitchen and reheated them once more.

At 12.50 am, the doorknob turned, and she turned to see that Lewis Alvarez had returned.

His face showed subtle signs of drunkenness as he walked toward her, his suit jacket slung on his arm.

Josephine stood up and poured him a glass of water to help him sober up, but he knocked it over the minute she reached out. Then, he grabbed her chin and kissed her on the lips.

The smell of alcohol mixed with the scent of a woman’s perfume hit her as he approached. She tried to push him away, but he ended up carrying her straight into the bedroom.

The man carelessly threw her onto the bed and leaned over without saying a word.

Josephine bit her lip and silently endured the act, turning her head to stare at the potted plant in the corner of the room.

There was no emotion, only lust and take.

The man grabbed her face and gazed deeply into her eyes, lightly stroking her face with his fingers. “Why aren’t you saying anything?” he asked.

Josephine stared straight at him with watery eyes. He knew she wouldn’t speak. She was mute.

would still ask her every

sometimes struggled to tell if he was humiliating her or expressing

hand on her face and tilted her head to nuzzle it against his palm like a kitten trying to

could

undercurrent was about to wash them over. He grabbed her hand and

…

her in bed

on the last garment, the phone on the bedside table made

bathroom door and then at the phone screen.

a text from Sierra Woods.

time, looking for

Josephine froze.

bathroom door opened, and Lewis walked out

of water on his body. His wet hair was hanging down, dripping. Drops of water

away and lowered her head to button her clothes.

man came to the bed, picked up his phone, and glanced at the woman

“You saw it?”

into a smile, and she shook her head.

day, he said, “You have to be a good girl. Don’t fall in love with me. We’ll be like how

told her not to fall in love

if she saw

but not about whether she was jealous, hurt, or upset.

not cared for had no right to be

her love and emotions would only burden

afraid that he, too,