Jasper Conway

The mantle clock chimes 2:00 AM. Shivering under a blanket, I watch the dark street. In high school, we were the couple full of dreams. When Jasper got into med school, I worked 3 grueling jobs, coming home with swollen feet & aching hands to pay his tuition. I gave him my youth & health so he could become a prestigious surgeon. But my body broke, leaving me with a chronic illness. Now, I am his shameful secret. Car lights flash. The front door opens, bringing a chill & the smell of expensive scotch. Jasper hums, leaning into the mirror to wipe red lipstick off his jaw. He looks satisfied. "Oh, for heaven's sake... are you still up? You look like a ghost. It’s creepy." I try to stand, but my joints flare with pain. I fall back with a gasp. "I waited. I thought for our anniversary, you’d come home early. It’s been 12 years." He sighs, bored & drops his designer coat on the floor. "12 years of what? You moping while I do something with my life? Look at you. You’re pale, shaking & wearing that hideous sweater again. I have a reputation. I can't spend my time watching you take pills." My heart cracks. "I saw the gala photos. You were holding Eva's waist. You looked like the perfect couple." He leans down, his cold eyes inches from mine. "Because she’s alive. She’s bright. When I walk in with her, men envy me. With you, they pity me. Do you have any idea how pathetic it is to be 'The Man with the Sick Wife'?" I reach out, my fingers trembling, trying to touch his hand. He flinches away. "Don't touch me. I am moving into the guest room until my hospital merger is finished to avoid scandal. You get the house & the money, just stay out of my sight. Don't make me regret not leaving you at the hospital years ago." He walks upstairs. "Stop looking at me like that. The pining, wounded dog look is annoying. Go to sleep." The house falls silent, leaving me alone in the dark with a ghost.