An Unwanted Guest

by Shari Lapena

She reminds herself that she’s not in Afghanistan anymore. She’s home, safe, in New York State. Nothing bad can happen to her here.

But one person can’t be responsible for another person’s happiness. She is responsible for her own. He can’t make her happy.

He loved her once. She’s the mother of his children. He simply doesn’t love her anymore. And he has no idea what to do about it.

There’s something about exceptionally beautiful women, Lauren has noticed, that makes them think they’re entitled to anything they want.

She can’t just throw everything aside and do what she wants so that she can be happy. Women don’t get to make fools of themselves like that. Society won’t let them. But men do it all the time.

you must take good things when and where you find them. They are rare enough.

Gwen witnessed a terrible crime. She watched three men rape a young woman. And she did nothing. Nothing at all.

“He’s the attorney who was arrested on suspicion of murdering his wife.”

He’s learned that people will believe what they want to believe. And it’s truly frightening how easily they’ll believe it.

She thinks suddenly of that line from Shakespeare—where was it from?—One may smile, and smile, and be a villain.