After Dexter left her, Crystal had trouble focusing.  They had been seeing a marriage counselor for almost two years. How could he just leave her after eleven years of marriage?  

They could work it out, couldn’t they?  But Dex refused to talk to her.  The worry made Crystal nauseous most days.  She called in sick to work once or twice a week. And when she was at work, she couldn’t concentrate.  

She just couldn’t bring herself to give the dress shop customers the attention she usually did.  So, it was no surprise when her boss told her that she would not be getting the promotion to store manager. They were giving it to Andrea—who had been there like 10 minutes! Crystal had been a hardworking loyal employee for four years, and was a darn good salesperson. But oh well, she knew that her sales had slipped.  What did it matter anyway?

On top of that, her beloved 18-year old cat, Max, was sick. The veterinarian had gently suggested that she might want to put him down, to save him from suffering, but Crystal refused. 

It was all too much.  She felt like she was plummeting into a hole of despair. No one seemed to care about her anyway.  What was the point? 

Unable to sleep, she had gone for a walk after midnight along the dark two-lane highway near her townhouse that turned into Main Street.  She thought that the cool night air might clear her mind and lift her depression.  

But when she saw a large grocery truck heading toward her, she made a split-second decision to walk in front of the truck and end the pain. She closed her eyes, stepped off the curb into the path of the truck, and waited for the impact. She was wearing a black coat and dark blue jeans.  The driver wouldn’t be able to see her in time to stop. 

To be continued . . .