A lot of details to take in, but I hadn’t shared a single secret with anyone. Part of me was scared for her.

My virginity for my wedding to Slavik had been a necessity.

I didn’t know if she loved Andrei, not that love played a part in my own marriage. Once again, Slavik kept his distance. He came home and slept beside me, but the only reason I knew that was the dent on his pillow the next morning.

Thinking about my marriage, I felt cold.

There was no love, nor was there any passion. Little by little, I felt like I was dying inside.

Bethany distracted me, telling me about a movie she’d watched. I liked how she talked a lot. It filled the silence. Our meal came, and I noticed she always pushed her salad around the plate.

Her cell phone went off, and she glanced down at the screen and groaned. “I’ve just got to take this. I’ll be right back.”

Again, I was used to her taking calls through our lunches.

I wasn’t hungry.

The waiter came to the table, and I saw Sergei watching me.

“I’ll be back in a moment.” I needed to use the bathroom and with Sergei close, he’d watch the table to make sure none of our stuff was stolen.

I went to the bathroom, washed my hands, and when I chanced a look in the mirror, I saw … sadness.

After pinching my cheeks to add a little pink to my complexion, I left the bathroom, coming to a stop when I saw Bethany just down the hall near the kitchen.

I approached.

“No, please keep talking to me. Anything to stop this from dragging.”

I stopped.

What was dragging?

“Andrei made me ask her to go to lunch, and the last few weeks, that is all we’ve done. She eats all the time, and I’ve never known anyone so dull in all my life. Honestly, I can’t wait to get home. We can go and have some fun. Aurora wouldn’t know fun if it bit her in the ass, and let me tell you, she’s so ugly. Slavik is hot. He’s dangerously hot, he deserves someone so much better than Aurora.”

Biting my lip, I stepped away, leaving her as she continued talking about me.

I headed back to the table, feeling kind of numb. The waiter came and asked about dessert. I told him no and asked for the check.

Looking over at Sergei, I wanted to burst into tears. I’d been so desperate for a friend I hadn’t read the signs.

I was empty. I’d eaten lunch and yet my stomach cramped.

My throat started to burn.

Bethany arrived, and as I looked at her now, I realized the signs I’d been ignoring over the past few weeks. She always arrived late. There was no invitation to her wedding.

“What did I miss?” she asked.

She smiled at me, and part of me thought about playing along, but the truth was, I was so tired of this dance.