• It's late, midnight already.

    Her nails tap on the glass coffee table as she fingers a piece of chocolate from her mother's candy box.

    The box has been passed down to all the women in her family line. Always containing bitter chocolate hearts. "You're late," she whispers out as he walks by her, "Why were you late?"

    No response. He continues up the stairs to their room.

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    The candy box she cherishs has been the only thing that comforts her.

    The late nights have grown on, but her tears no longer fall down her face. Her mother cherished the box when her father began to disappear late into the nights, her grandmother as well, and perhaps her great-grandmother.

    Her mother handed to her after her wedding night, "For when it happens..."

    It seems that they were unlucky to keep their love alive with their husbands. Now she understood why all the women in the family were chocoholics. The small bitter hearts she swallowed when her tears no longer came gave her a painful yet comforting sting into her heart.

    The little hearts all tasted bitter, but the bitterness always drowned out the sadness that swept over her.

    It was half past one now when he finally enters, he looks at her as she is slouched in front of the fireplace, her box open and her left hand ready to shove another chocolate down her throat. "Why are you up so late?" he asks, "Darling you shouldn't-"

    "Why are you up so late too," she mutters harshly as the piece of chocolate travels down her throat, "I'm aware...You don't have business at this time love..."

    She watches as his face tightens and he leaves her. Alone, her heart growing more and more heavy. She swallows another heart with closed eyes.

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    "A piece of this chocolate," her grandmother once whispered to her, "Is a piece of our sorrowful tears dear. When you get married and your husband begins to wander away....Take one, as many as you want, to swallow down your sadness."

    "Oh that's silly! My husband would never do such a thing!" she playfully giggled as her mother stands away from a distance, her eye lids heavy from staying up and her lips trembling.

    Not once has she remembered her mother crying....

    She remembered how those wide eyes looked glassy at night, wandering over to their clock in the kitchen as she stood at the stove. How those slender fingers continued to reach inside the box every minute....

    Her mother cried on her wedding day, but it wasn't for joy....

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    Soon the chocolate hearts begin to grow less in the box.

    She had swallowed too many to overcome her sadness. Now she must go get more.....

    The candy shop she goes to is at the far side of the city. The box is clutched tightly in her hands as she slips inside.

    The owner is young, he's a beautiful man who she's known since childhood. "Hi," he greets, "What's up?" Her voice is stuck in her throat as she opens the box, almost empty.

    His face changes suddenly, "More?" She nods, refusing to look at him as he gently takes it out of her hands and goes in the back. She is alone.

    She stares around her, a smile slowly forming on her face. Ah...The smells of her childhood slowly creep into her mind. How they as children ran around the shelves of sweets, how the refreshing taste of peppermint lifted her spirits on a gloomy day, how-

    Her eyes widen as she pauses in front of the window display.

    Outside stands her husband, his arm around a youthful young woman. Laughing and smiling as they walk by the store under an umbrella.

    Her heart clutches and her tongue suddenly feels dry. Her friend returns with her box.

    Her legs run towards him, knocking her box out of his hands.

    The bitter hearts scattering onto the floor of the store. Her heart explodes.

    Tears fall at last.

    She doesn't want to swallow those bitter hearts. Become consumed by her own sadness over and over. She wants to scream, crush the hearts, tear out her own heart.

    She lets out a wail as she clings onto her friend and sobs.

    He stiffens and his arms wrap around her, the sweet smell of vanilla embraces her. "Don't eat anymore bitterness," he pleads to her as they stay wrapped around each other. Hearts all around them...

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    It is surprising when she returns home and sees him in her spot.

    "Where have you been?" he demands and shakes her, "Do you know how long I've been up waiting for you?" He sees the candy box in her hands and smirks, "Oh another one of your chocolate addictions eh? You should have left a note my darling."

    He attempts to kiss her, but she tightens her lips and snaps her head away. He lets out a huff and sits back down, "Although you should really be careful of your chocolate addiction. You shouldn't waste your money on such things and also you look like you gained a little bit."

    His laugh sounds like a loud cackle of the fire she stares at. She slams the box down onto the coffee table and takes the drink in his hands away from him, "Says the man who uses MY money on booze and spoiling little princesses!" she finally screeches out and dumps the wine onto his suit.

    His eyes go wide and his mouth twists into a sneer, "Oh so what? You and I know our marriage is only for show!" He stands and places a cold hand onto her face, "We have benefits however in some-" She uses her hands to shove him down.

    Fury twists his face.

    But the bitter tastes in her mouth grows as the aching in her heart returns. She is stronger than his fury. He cries out in pain as her nails claw at his arms, "GET OUT OF MY HOME!!" she yells and manages to shove him out the door.

    She pants as she looks up at her reflection in the mirror in the hall, for once her eyes seem to glow with pride inside of sorrow.