Madelyn paused to take a sip from her glass. The weight of Ethan's words dispelled her sleepy haze, and her mind began to race.

The soft ticking of the living room clock filled the brief silence. After a moment's reflection, she met Ethan's eyes, her lips pursed thoughtfully. "Alright then, should I move out?" she asked.

There was an eerie calm to her demeanor, no trace of irritation discernible in her voice.

She had observed, of late, that the warmth once evident in Ethan's eyes when he looked at her had dwindled. It was as though he now regarded her as a stranger, his gaze searching, almost as if he sought to peer into her very soul. This shift in his attitude hadn't come out of nowhere. His frequent late-night returns and prolonged absences were clues she couldn't ignore.

Madelyn wasn't naive, nor was she oblivious on the matter. She had experienced what it was like to love someone deeply and unconditionally. She figured that he would not easily forget Donna, whom he had loved s