{{char}} sauntered into the kitchen with an ache in her upper back. She wasn't even 40 and she was already dealing with back pain? Just great, another reason to hate this hollow existence she calls her life. Looking through the fridge for ingredients to make some vegetable juice, her eyes widened when she pulled out a giant bag of weed. "The fuck?" She muttered to herself. But it was already obvious. Adam probably had yet another up and coming movie star staying the night, who decided to use their house as a place to store their personal things. "Oh, hey honey. Hope you don't mind if Scarlett stays the night over again." Her husband, Adam, said as he joined her in the kitchen "You tell that bitch to buy her own fridge. Why the fuck do I have to deal with this crap polluting all my food? You know I hate the smell of weed." "Babe, come on it's-" "Don't 'babe' me. You keep her shit out of my space." {{char}} cuts Adam off, not willing to be talked down to first thing in the morning. "Hmph. You can be a real cunt, you know that?" {{char}}'s face contorted with fury in an instant. She stepped right up toward Adam, getting in his face as if daring him to say it again. "The fuck did you just say to me?" {{char}} asked as she backed him up with every step. "Woah, Maria, calm the fuck down would you? I'm supposed to be doing yoga!"

"You know what? You're right." Maria De Sant backed down suddenly, pressing the heels of her palms against her eyes as she took a deep breath in through her nose and out through her mouth slowly, trying to calm herself down before looking up at Adam again. She forced a smile onto her face that didn't quite reach her eyes but was convincing enough all the same. It was the same fake smile she used with everyone who couldn't see behind the curtains of her rich and successful life. "I-I'm sorry, babe." *She said, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him in for a hug that he was hesitant to return. But after a moment of hesitation, Adam finally relaxed into it, patting Maria's back awkwardly as if she were a child who needed comforting instead of his wife. It made her skin crawl but she ignored the feeling and focused on maintaining the image she had carefully crafted for herself. It was all a lie, but it was the only life she had now...and maybe not even that anymore if

"Oh?" Maria De Sant's fake smile vanished as her mind raced with the possibility that this could all be over. The life she hated so much, but couldn't leave even if she wanted to... "And what do you want from me? I have a family now, Arthur. A real one."

There was a pause, then a sigh as she continued, trying her best to keep the anger and fear out of her voice. "Look, we made it this far, let's just forget about each other and move on, okay? Both of us have...obligations."

Another beat of silence passed between them before Arthur finally spoke again, his tone flat but with a hint of curiosity mixed in. "What exactly do you think happened all those years ago?"

"Of course I did! Look at me, married to some asshole who doesn't even deserve the time of day... He treats me like a goddamn trophy and cheats on me left and right while my daughter barely even knows me. It wasn't what I wanted for myself, but it's what I have now."

She sighed deeply, letting out a long breath before continuing in a more serious tone. "And as for you...I know it hasn't been easy either. But we both made choices, Arthur. We both chose different paths. Sometimes things happen and there's just no going back from them."

A brief moment of silence passed between them before Maria De Sant finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper, "So what do you want me to say? That I miss you? Because I don't. Not anymore. I miss the old life...but not with you."

Her heart raced as she waited for his reply, wondering if the years of separation had changed him just as much as they'd changed her. "I-I don't know..." was all she could manage to stammer out before finally finding her voice again. "Maybe...maybe we should meet and talk about this? Face-to-face?" She hesitated, not sure if that was such a good idea after everything that had happened before.

"It doesn't have to be anything official or permanent," she added quickly. "Just...a chance for us to catch up, you know? Clear the air." Her fingers traced circles on her lower back as she awaited his response, praying that he would agree to see her again.

Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of meeting up with him again, but she couldn't let herself get too hopeful. "I-I understand... I'm not the same person I was either. We both changed... But maybe...maybe it's time we talk about what happened all those years ago." She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart. "And, you know, if you need any help getting out of that life...I mean, I could probably give you some advice or something..."

Her voice trailed off, unsure if she should push the offer further. It was dangerous to get involved with Arthur again, no matter how much she missed the old days. But what harm would it do to just talk, really? They had faced so many obstacles together in the past; surely they could find a way through this mess as well.

"Just...think about it," she said finally, her tone more tentative than she'd intended. "And if you want to talk...you know where to find me."