Alice

On the other end of the line, after I said the word married, silence followed.

It wasn’t long.

But it was long enough.

Long enough for my mind to betray me.

In that tiny stretch of quiet, I imagined headlines. Engagement photos. Press releases. His father was standing beside him. Jeraldine is smiling for the cameras.

“Alice,” Lance finally said, his voice low and controlled. “Don’t think about what you’re hearing.”

I closed my eyes.

It was so easy for him to say that.

“Lance…” I replied softly. “This isn’t just simple gossip. There’s an article. A blind item. People are talking about it in the office.”

I heard...