How can something as colourless as water create so many hues, Eliana wondered, as she scrolled through her photo gallery. Images of an ominous, grey sky raining buckets greeted her. How deftly Jayden had captured the blustery evening, that rare lightning forking through the skies, and their vibrant, manicured garden lying dishevelled in the storm.

Jayden Joyce, Eliana’s husband and sole heir to the Joyce conglomerate, was now just a dapper face preserved in photo-albums and in her heart.

Eliana sighed as she rose to refill her glass of wine. Their luxuriant, sea-facing villa was unusually quiet. The staff had discreetly retired to their quarters. It was exactly a year since Jayden left – a sad day for his beautiful, young widow. They all admired her for her resilience and her adept helming of the empire.

The events of that fateful evening returned to haunt Eliana. They were celebrating a romantic, no-phones weekend indoors. The champagne flowed, as did the music. Around midnight, the rains abated and they ran out to the rocky beach outside. The phosphorescent waves broke against the boulders and crashed angrily near their feet.

Jayden waded out into the waters. The spiked champagne had started working…he didn’t notice the giant wave closing in on him. Eliana watched coldly as he got swept away, arms flailing, voice choking. They found his decomposed remains a week later.

A shrill ttrring tore into Eliana’s reverie. Absentmindedly, she unlocked her phone – Jayden’s name and number flashed on the screen.

(Story only – 249 words)

Image is my own