#Chapter 57: Unwanted Attention

The city’s nocturnal pulse is like a second heartbeat, a comforting undercurrent as I make my way toward the subway. Tonight was something else. A blend of euphoria, sprinkled with an indescribable tension—thanks to Karl’s abrupt departure. I’m not sure why he left, or really even when he left. All I know is that one moment he was there, and the next he was gone. And he didn’t come back. Did someone say something? Did something happen? Was it the picture fiasco? My mind wanders back to Chloe and the palpable tension between the two of them. I know that Chloe dislikes him, and for good reason, but I think he’s been trying to change. I just wish that she could see that. “God, what am I thinking?” I whisper to myself, shaking my head. Standing up for Karl? For the man who divorced me, who forced me to dress modestly, who convinced me to dye my hair for his own pleasure? I should be siding with Chloe, not him. And yet, I still can’t help but feel a sli