The suitcase was almost full. Dazed and scared, Carrie looked at it. How was it possible she could pack her entire life so quickly and so efficiently? It had been three years of marriage, and all her dreams, hopes, and desires were neatly folded and placed inside that sturdy silver suitcase. With trembling hands, she smoothed down her sweater. Her vision blurred with tears.

She knew it was going to be hard, but the final step of closing her suitcase and walking away from Max almost seemed like an impossible feat. The idea was terrifying, as if she were about to throw herself off a cliff. But she had no choice. She had to leave Riverslea Downs, and she had to do it that day, before she gave in.

Carrie looked at her closet, now almost empty. She'd picked things out randomly, aware that she couldn't take everything at once. She'd taken out a few urban pieces, a few jeans and T-shirts. Besides, she didn't care what clothes she'd wear from now on. Nothing really mattered to her anymore. The only way to survive this situation was to numb her emotions. She went through all the drawers again, wondering if she should pack a few more items.

And just then, he saw it, at the bottom of a drawer. It was a small package wrapped in tissue paper.

Her heart skipped a beat, then raced. She couldn't leave him there.

Choking back tears, she took the package in both hands. It weighed almost nothing. She held it against her chest, fighting the memories that bombarded her, and then, finally, she packed it at the bottom of her suitcase. She pressed the clothes together and closed the locks. She was ready. There was nothing left to do, except leave the letter she had written so carefully on the kitchen table. It was a letter for her husband.

It was cruel, but I couldn't do it any other way. If I had tried to explain things to him face to face, he would have realized how
It was difficult for her, and she would never have been able to convince him. She had thought things through over and over again, and she knew that this was the cleanest way to do everything, the only way.

Standing in front of the bedroom window, Carrie gazed out at the golden meadows beneath the radiant Australian Outback sun. The breeze carried a light scent of eucalyptus, and in the distance, she heard the cry of a magpie. A hard, hot lump lodged in her throat. She loved this place.

"Go now. Don't think about it. Just do it."

She took the envelope containing the letter, grabbed her suitcase, and took one last look at the room she had shared with Max for three years. Lifting her chin, she stood up straight and left.

When the phone rang, Max Kincaid decided to ignore it. He didn't want to talk, no matter how good the intentions of the caller were. The pain he was experiencing at that moment was too great, and there was no room for words.

The phone continued ringing for a few seconds. The shrill ringing pierced his ear. Annoyed, he turned around and headed toward the front veranda, which had always been one of his favorite spots. From there, he could see the meadows, forests, and distant hills he had loved all his life. That day, however, the beautiful view barely caught his attention. He could only be thankful the phone had stopped ringing. Suddenly, amid the silence, he heard a subtle whimper. Clover, Carrie's dog, was looking at him with sad, bewildered eyes.

"I know exactly how you feel, girl," Max stroked the old Labrador's head. "I can't believe he dumped you too, but I guess you couldn't fit into a city apartment."

The edge of the pain she'd been feeling since the night before pierced her once more. She'd found an empty house and a...