The Stories I Never Told Out Loud

The Breakup, the Crash, and the First Breath Outside.

Chapter 1

Kassandra was unraveling. The worst part? She still looked fine to the outside world.

Kassandra chose to wear the biggest sunglasses she owned. She still couldn’t believe Amanda and Margery had convinced her to leave her house.

No — not home. Just a house. It wasn’t hers, not entirely. His energy still lingered in the empty spaces where his shit used to be.

It had been five days since she’d left for anything other than work. Ironically, work was the only thing going well.

“When your love life goes to shit, your career takes off.”

Apparently, that cliché was true.

“At least I’m making money,” Kassandra joked to herself, staring into the mirror at the big, dark circles carved by crying, insomnia — and the drugs that were doing nothing to help either.

She finished her coffee and pulled on her sunglasses. She had promised Amanda she’d eat. But food felt like a threat — a force her stomach would immediately reject. Another plus, she thought. Easiest way to fit into her tightest clothes.

Kassandra decided she’d lie about breakfast and play it by ear at lunch. Amanda, her self-appointed food supervisor at the office, would notice eventually. She always did. At 1:45 p.m. on the dot, Amanda would walk up to her desk, look her dead in the eyes, and say:

“Your mind is already in bad shape. Don’t push your body too.”

She always won. Kas always ate.

And now, for the first time in almost a week, she was leaving her house for something other than survival. Their weekly coffee meet-up was today. Margery had flat-out refused to come by her place again.