The moment I opened my mouth to point out any flaw in Nelson's work, no matter how gently I phrased it, Kate would have taken it as a personal attack on him.
Because in her mind, the two of us had been ranked a long time ago.
Nelson would always come first.
Kate's voice was ice. "You're attending the program test tomorrow."
"And when you're there, keep your mouth shut. Let the test run its course."
I said nothing. Just nodded.
She glanced at me, seemingly caught off guard by my compliance.
But she didn't press it. She turned and walked into the bedroom.
"Since your stomach's bothering you, sleep in the guest room tonight."
I sat on the couch, listening to the door click shut behind her.
Three years of living together, and this was the first time we'd slept in separate rooms.
The streetlamp outside flickered on, casting a wash of amber light through the window, pooling in pale shapes across the floor.
I was thinking about my past life.
After Nelson died, Kate became a different person.
On the surface, she seemed fine. Went to work, sat through meetings, handled business as usual.
But there was something cold behind her eyes. Something that never thawed.