Shadee just stood there, her mouth slightly open and eyes widened in sheer surprise. Sebastien had just left…he had just walked out the front door, probably never to return again. She looked at the wooden door, still ajar, noticing the glowing red light spreading over the floor.



Calm and determined, the young woman took a few steps towards the entrance and softly pushed the door shut. Just then did the wave of shock hit her. Her knees started to shake uncontrollably, but she didn’t make any effort to keep her balance and dropped swiftly to the floor, streams of tears running down her face. She was alone! Her marriage was over! Sebastien had left her for good!



She suddenly found it impossible to breathe and desperately gasped for air, but her windpipe appeared to be obstructed by something very big and heavy. The clothes seemed to have gained a will of their own and were strangling her, pressing on her chest and lungs. With feverish moves, Shadee tore at them with her trembling hands, finally managing to get them all off, and remained stark naked in the middle of the hallway.

Still finding it hard to breathe, choking in her tears, she abruptly stood up and grabbed the nearest phone off the hook, dialing the number of the only person that could help her through those moments.



‘Holly!’ she gasped for air again, but couldn’t finish her sentence.

‘Shae! What’s wrong? Is everything ok?’

‘He left-’ Shadee finally managed to mumble. The fact that she had stated it aloud made everything even more real ‘He’s gone!’



‘Who left? What happened? Are you hurt?! Ah, never mind! Don’t leave anywhere, I’ll be there in a few minutes!’

Hearing the tone at the other end of the line, Shadee felt more alone and desperate than ever. It really was the first time she was experiencing those feelings. She stood up again from the corner she had been cowering into, but her vision blurred and she suddenly felt queasy. She tried to grab something for support as her eyes became more unfocused, but her hand simply grasped out in thin air, then fell alongside her limp body on the floor with a small thud.