Chapter 9 - Ethan Finds A Locked Box In Their Bedroom Closet
The following evening, after the doctors confirmed Mara’s condition had stabilized, Ethan returned home to pack clothes for Evie.
While reaching for a suitcase on the top shelf of the bedroom closet, his hand brushed against a heavy metal lockbox.
He pulled it down, noticing the small brass key hidden securely behind the wooden shelf molding.
Ethan inserted the key and turned it, the latch clicking open with a sharp, echoing snap in the quiet room.
Inside the box were old photographs, letters from Mara’s parents, and a stack of unsent journal entries.
He picked up the topmost letter, noticing it was addressed directly to him, dated two years earlier.
“Dear Ethan, if you are reading this, it means I finally broke under the weight of trying to be the perfect wife.”
“I love you and Evie with all my heart, but I feel like I am disappearing into the walls of this house.”
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“I don't know how to tell you that I'm drowning without feeling like a failure.”
Ethan’s hands shook uncontrollably as he folded the letter back up, realizing she had never had the courage to give it to him.
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