Numb

I didn't cry. My self-preservation instincts formed an immediate shell around me. It sucked out all the emotions, leaving me numb. After I walked away from Jeanette, ignoring her taunting laughter, I entered the elevator car and went down to the ground floor. Jun appeared beside me at some point. He didn't say a word, and I was grateful that he didn't. He just led me out of the hospital and drove me to the museum.

I didn't remember how I had gotten through the day. I vaguely recalled correcting a few details at one of the museum halls. I might have been talking to Oliver a few times. He came to ask me if I was OK, and I summoned my best acting skills to lie to him while keeping a smile on my face.

Lying in front of my son was harder. Fortunately, he had an exciting day at school, and I was grateful that telling me about it devoured his entire attention. That's how I survived.

My shell turned out to be more resilient than I thought. Not a single crack formed even when I sat alone on Jo