Chapter 73

　　Roman felt numb as he stood at the bottom of the stairs.

　　He was still standing there when Evelyn came back down a few minutes later with her handbag. It was like watching his life fall apart in slow motion. Tears were still falling down her cheeks and she looked... destroyed. He’d destroyed her. He had done this.

　　She stopped a little distance away from him as if she couldn’t bear to come any closer. She didn’t even look at him.

　　“Where are the car keys?” Evelyn asked.

　　She was leaving him. He knew that this was it, that she would never come near him again. He’d fucked up.

　　“Evelyn, I’m so sorry,” he said hoarsely.

　　“The keys, Roman.”

　　He’d thought he’d been wrecked the last time she’d left but this felt worse. So much worse.

　　“On the sideboard,” he answered.

　　Evelyn walked past him without another word. He didn’t turn around to watch her walk out on him because he was sure it would break him. But he heard her pick up the keys and then heard the door softly open.