"Have you asked for a divorce?" Chloe asked. Her tone was light, almost casual, but there was something sharper underneath. Not curiosity for gossip's sake. She wasn't a busybody. She just couldn't ignore what she'd seen. Not for the second time. The cracked strings around Linda's wrist, the way Linda flinched at the word "husband" like it was a blade pressed to her throat.
Linda's eyes darted away. Anywhere but Chloe's face. She stared at the floor, at the scuffed tiles, at the flickering light overhead. Her mouth opened, then closed. Nothing came out. The silence stretched too long.
Chloe studied her. She watched the way Linda avoided her gaze, the way her fingers twisted together like she was trying to hold herself in place, like if she let go she'd shatter. Chloe chose to let it go. She'd given a suggestion. If Linda didn't want to take it to heart, that was her right. Who was Chloe to keep hammering at it? She had her own mess to drown in.
