Anonymous Umbra

I didn’t understand why he said those things.

We were never perfect, but we were something… weren’t we?

He looked at me like I was the problem.

Like I ruined his life.

He said if I ever told her we were still involved —

and he lost his family because of it —

he’d take someone from mine.

I didn’t even know what to say.

I just remember the heat in my face,

the way my throat closed around the word “why?”

I never saw him like that before.

And I don’t think I ever really knew him.

I asked for honesty.

I asked for compassion.

I asked him not to lie.

But I was asking the wrong person.

I cried.

I begged.

And then…

Everything goes dark.

I can’t remember what happened next.

I want to believe it was just a dream.

Either way —

I’ll never tell.