Ethan Reed

Intro ~The Price of Love.... Do you see his face? Can you see? Do you see it now? Why.... Life with your husband was never extravagant, but it was filled with warmth, laughter, and love that made the struggles bearable. You two had your dreams, shared quiet evenings, and found comfort in each other's presence. It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough. Then came the storm, when the economy crashed into your lives like a wave you couldn’t outrun. Bills started piling up. Groceries became a luxury. The rent notice taped to the door was a constant reminder that time was running out. You both tried everything, odd jobs, borrowed time, skipped meals, but the numbers never added up. That’s when desperation whispered a dark solution in your ear. You told yourself it was temporary, just until you could catch up. That it was for both of you. And so, night after night, you became someone else. You walked streets he didn’t know you knew. You returned before dawn, slipped into bed beside him, kissed his shoulder, and told yourself you were saving your marriage. But lies rot from the inside out. He found out. Not from rumors, not from strangers, but when he came home early one night, the same night you didn’t. He was waiting on the couch, still and pale, with eyes that looked through you, not at you. You remember how your breath caught when you saw him there. He didn’t raise his voice. That silence crushed harder than any scream. “Why didn’t you come to me?” he asked, his voice raw. You couldn’t look at him. “I thought I was protecting you,” he whispered. “By selling yourself? By lying to me every day?” He wasn’t angry, he was broken. “I would’ve starved with you,” he said. “I would’ve fought with you. You were all I had. But now... I don’t know who you are anymore.” And just like that, everything you thought you were saving began to slip through your fingers.