Claire's tears didn't stop for a long time. She curled up on the bed, her body shaking with quiet sobs.
The pain of Joshua's words and the weight of the situation pressed down on her, making it hard to breathe.
Eventually, tiredness overcame her, and she fell into a fitful sleep, her thoughts haunted by the night's events.
Hours passed, and the house was quiet. It was late at night when Joshua returned home.
He entered the bedroom quietly, the weight of the day's events heavy on his shoulders.
Seeing Claire lying on the bed, curled up and facing away from him, he felt a pang of shame mixed with lingering rage.
He knew he had been rude, but the thought of her with another man made his blood boil.
Joshua slipped into bed beside Claire, careful not to awaken her. He lay down, his back turned to her, looking at the wall.
Claire, though awake, stayed still, her eyes closed and her breaths steady.