Chapter 7 - Erasing the Narrative
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By the third day after I walked out, the online narrative began to crumble.
At first, the wedding photos on Caleb's social media stayed up. Friends had left hundreds of glowing comments: "The perfect couple!", "Fairytale wedding!", "So happy for you both!"
Then, subtle changes happened. The photos started disappearing one by one.
When mutual friends began commenting, asking why I hadn't posted any pictures or why my status was suddenly updated, Caleb deleted their questions instantly. Soon, the entire wedding album was wiped clean from his profile.
Gossip, however, travels far faster than deleted posts.
I didn't go back to my own apartment right away. On Elise’s strict advice, I went into hiding at my maid of honor Tessa’s apartment above a quiet bakery in Providence.
"He is humiliated," Elise had warned me over a secure phone call. "And humiliated men with fragile egos are unpredictable. Stay somewhere he can't track easily."
For forty-eight hours, I barely ate. My phone buzzed constantly until I had to put it on silent. Caleb left dozens of text messages, his mood swinging wildly from minute to minute.
First came the desperate lover: “Marina, please come back. We had a bad morning. Don't let my mother ruin our love.”
Then came the accuser: “You always wanted an excuse to abandon me. You never loved me!”
Then came the cold threat: “If you keep ignoring my calls, I will make sure everyone in this town knows what kind of cold, unfeeling woman you really are.”
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Tessa sat beside me on the sofa, handing me a glass of water. "He's losing his mind because he lost control."
"He doesn't sound crazy, Tessa," I whispered, staring at the screen. "That's the scariest part. He sounds completely normal."
