The bass pounded through the walls like an oversized heartbeat, vibrating beneath Judith's feet as strangers danced with carefree abandon. Laughter erupted from every corner, glasses clinked together in celebration, and the air was still thick with perfume, expensive cologne, and the bittersweet scent of spilled liquor. It was exactly the kind of place people came to forget.
That was why Judith had come. Her half-finished cocktail was resting between her trembling hands. The ice cubes had long since melted, watering down the drink she barely touched. Her eyes remained fixed on the amber liquid, as though the answer to her broken heart might be waiting at the bottom of the glass.
Around her, happiness felt almost offensive.
