Chapter 10: Aftermath

The next day, Hank’s Country Kitchen put up a sign: “Closed for family reasons.” A moving truck pulled up. Workers went in and out, carrying bags and boxes—including that freezer. Hank vanished. No one asked where he went, no one asked about his wife.

Life snapped back to normal faster than I could believe. In this town, you minded your business, especially when it stank. Hank’s diner was gutted, the sign tossed with the trash, and fireworks crackled to celebrate the new barbecue joint.

People whispered, but nobody called the cops. By the end of the week, folks were already arguing about who did brisket better than Hank ever did. Natalie faded into rumor, Hank into memory.

Lillian asked about the proposal again and again. She was less patient now. She knew I couldn’t get $18,800, but she kept pressing. The thought of living surrounded by the stench of slop, of a life that could end in a few knife swings, of kindness and marriage being worth less than a $300 transaction—it all made love feel like nothing but money and betrayal.

I broke up with Lillian. She was furious, we fought, she called me a jerk and stormed out.

It was my first breakup. I had no dignity, but I never hurt her. She could still marry her true love as a virgin—some small comfort, I guess.

A week dragged by. Then Lillian reached out. She apologized, said she was immature, said her family agreed: no dowry, no house or car, just treat her well and we could marry. Even without a banquet.

She insisted on seeing me. I softened—she was my first love. As soon as we met, she threw herself into my arms, begged me to kiss her, said she didn’t want to be alone anymore. Seeing her small and helpless, I caved. That night, we slept together.

I handed my apartment to an agent to sublet, used all my savings on cigarettes and alcohol, and went with Lillian to meet her parents. They asked for nothing and agreed to the marriage. Lillian was shy, never meeting my eye. Her brother wasn’t there—off working in a city out west, she said. Maybe that was for the best.

We went back to my hometown. My parents were happy to see Lillian, said she’d give us big, healthy boys.

A month later, we got married—at an age when I’d achieved nothing, but love had finally come through.