CHAPTER 1 – The Distance

Evelyn Hart felt a change in her home. It was small in the beginning. But she felt it clearly. Gregory Hale, her husband, was not the same man anymore. He spoke less. He sat alone. He kept his phone close to him all the time. He came home late. His eyes never met hers. Evelyn watched him and felt a soft pain growing inside her.

She wanted to ask him why he was so cold. But she was scared of the answer. She told herself, “He is tired. He has work.” But her heart whispered, “Something is wrong.” She tried to ignore that voice. She tried to stay calm. But her chest felt tight every night.

One evening, Evelyn waited for him with tea. She wanted to talk. She wanted one honest moment. When Gregory entered the house, he did not look at her. He walked past her as if she was not there. Evelyn said softly, “Greg, you look sad. Can we talk?” Gregory replied, “Not now. I am busy.” His voice was flat. His face was blank. Evelyn nodded, but inside she felt a deep cut. She thought, “Why does he not see me anymore?”

Days passed, and the distance grew. Gregory spent more time outside. Evelyn sat alone and wondered where he went. One morning, she heard a woman in town talking. The woman said she saw Gregory with a young woman from his office. Her name was Ariana Blake. She was only twenty-five. She was beautiful. She was full of life. Evelyn felt her stomach drop. She forced a weak smile and said, “Oh, maybe it was work.” But her hands shook.

That night, Evelyn asked him gently, “Greg, someone said they saw you with a girl from work. Is everything okay?” Gregory looked annoyed. He said, “Stop listening to people.” Evelyn said nothing else. She only whispered in her heart, “Please tell me the truth.”

One night changed everything. Gregory came home very late. His shirt had a sweet perfume smell. A young smell. Evelyn stood near him and felt her heart break. She asked him, “Where were you?” Gregory said, “Work. Do not start.” Evelyn looked at him. She knew he was lying. Her eyes filled with tears, but she did not let them fall. She only whispered, “Okay.”

Evelyn went to bed early. She lay on her side, facing the wall. Gregory slept facing the other side. There was a big space between them. It felt like miles. Evelyn closed her eyes and remembered the man she once loved. She remembered how he used to hold her hand. She remembered how he used to wait for her outside her job. Those memories felt like someone else’s life now.

The next morning, Evelyn tried again because her heart was soft. She said, “Greg, I miss you. You are far from me now.” Gregory sighed. He said, “I am tired of this talk.” Evelyn felt her throat burn. She said in a small voice, “I only want us back.” Gregory had no answer.

That night, she sat alone on the sofa. She held her hands tightly. Her chest hurt. She whispered to herself, “What is happening to my marriage?” She felt like a woman who was losing everything slowly. She was fifty. She had loved him for years. And now she felt invisible in her own home.

But Evelyn did not shout. She did not fight. Her pain was quiet. Her fear was quiet. Her hope was quiet. She thought, “Maybe he will come back to me. Maybe everything will get better.” But deep inside, she knew something was breaking. Something she could not fix alone.

And in that moment, Evelyn felt the first real crack in her heart. She did not know it was only the beginning.

She did not know the truth that was waiting for her in the next chapter. A truth that would change her life forever.