Lucinda sat with a spread of papers on the white, linen-covered table while carefully forking the salad in front of her. Catching up on office work during a lunch break wasn't something she made a habit of, but at least it kept her mind occupied. She hated eating alone. Her coworkers often went on group lunches, but after the fiasco her life had become, they no longer extended invitations to her. It still amazed her how they took her ex's side and how overnight she was practically labeled with a scarlet letter.

Nobody ever wanted to hear the truth when gossip was so much better.

Looking up and staring out of the wall of windows, she could see the sun shimmering onto the manmade lake that sat in the middle of the promenade. It was the focal point for all of the businesses in the downtown area and bicyclists would steer down the path that surrounded it. Small row boats could also be rented and taken out on the water, but in all the years Lucinda worked in the city, she never bothered giving it a try. She couldn't deny that it looked like fun and the day was gorgeous, warm and with the perfect hue of light blue in the sky. If she dared to rent a boat then today would be a good for it... but she wouldn't. All she had to do was imagine herself rowing out there alone and the slight desire to rent a boat would dissolve. She was always alone.

Sighing, she glanced back down at her meal, but out of the corner of her eye caught sight of someone very familiar. Gasping quietly, her jaw dropped as she saw him sitting there-with his wife and children.

Looking around anxiously for an exit, Lucinda gathered up her paperwork and shoved them into her briefcase. She stood from the table frantically, causing the water glass to jostle and spill its contents. Muttering a curse, she moved around the table and narrowed her eyes on the nearest escape. She walked briskly, not bothering to look back and praying to God that her ex didn't see her.

"Excuse me," a voice behind her said.

But Lucinda couldn't stop now and ignored the person.

"Hey!" the voice said more sternly and this time a firm hand yanked on her shoulder, causing her to yelp.

"Let go of me!" She spun around.

"You forgot to pay!" the young waiter challenged by shoving the bill holder in her face. "You can't just eat and not pay for it."

Mortified, Lucinda took the little black bill holder from his hand. "I wasn't dining and ditching if that's what you're insinuating."

"Uh huh..." The waiter folded his arms. "So you were just making a mad dash toward the door with all of your belongings, for?"

"I wasn't skipping out on my bill!" Lucinda insisted.

"What's the problem here?" another voice said and Lucinda turned to see a tall, husky man with a tag on his breast pocket that said, manager.

The young waiter pointed his smug chin at her. "I caught her trying to skip out without paying."

"I wasn't!" she said again, this time more desperately. She could feel their exchange gathering attention from other patrons. "I swear I wasn't," she whispered. "I panicked. I wasn't thinking straight."

"Panicked?" The manager crooked his bushy brows. "Are you alright?"

"Just thoroughly embarrassed." Tears gathered at her lids, but she forced herself to look both men in the eyes, despite wanting to shrink away. "A man I was once engaged to is sitting right over there with his family. I just want to be anywhere but here right now."

She closed her eyes and could feel the trickle of warm tears go down her cheeks. Then she reached into her wallet, pulled out a wad of cash and shoved it into the bill holder. After thrusting it into the waiter's hands, she turned and darted from the restaurant. The bustle of people passing by drowned out the cry that escaped her mouth as soon as she made it outside. Wiping her cheeks furiously, she walked past the wall of windows, and couldn't help but glimpse through them. There he was, still sitting with his family, only now he was watching her walk by the windows. His wife was also watching and she could see the pity on her face.

Did his wife know about her? Or was she unaware that her husband was a big fat liar? Looking back on it now, Lucinda realized how foolish she had been to believe that a man so painfully good looking, and in his late thirties would be single. Not to mention how he insisted they keep their relationship a secret due to work politics. Even now, three years later and in his forties, he was still so handsome. Light patches of grey hair were starting to sprout on his sideburns and it only made him look more distinguished in his tailored suit. Lucinda felt her insides tighten as she remembered the strong body underneath his clothes. Ripping her attention away, she continued walking back to the office.

Later as she sat at home eating dinner alone, she thought back on the events that occurred earlier that day. She had never gathered her things more quickly, or bolted for an exit so fast in her life. For the rest of the day she felt such a great sadness, and now as she looked down at her plate of food, she couldn't stomach another bite. She pushed her meal aside and proceeded to the living room to watch TV, where she quickly fell asleep on the recliner with tears still damp on her lashes.

By morning her blaring alarm was going off, alerting her that it was time to go for a jog. She sat upright and rubbed her neck realizing that she fell asleep on the recliner. Her neck was stiff and she almost thought of just crawling back into bed but she knew she needed to exercise. If she didn't, then it would offset her day and it had already been rocked the one before. So, she slipped on her running clothes, and set off on her usual trail. It was a routine she developed years ago in college when she discovered how exhilarating running could be.

Lately, however, she felt like a slave to it, and it only made her lonelier than she already was. With her parents passing away when she was in college and the rest of her family living across the country, it made being alone difficult. She didn't have any friends after drifting apart from them... or maybe they drifted from her? Either way, she was friendless and never dated anyone else after finding out her fiancé was married with kids. He was such a liar, living a double life she had no clue about.

The only thing that seemed to keep Lucinda going from day to day was the bridge she loved walking across so much. During her morning jog she always made it a point to stop and walk over it slowly. No, more like stroll over it. She would listen to the birds chirping their good morning, watch the sun lazily seep through the trees and breathe in the crisp clean forest air. Then she would pick at the loose pebbles on the ground, some she would throw into the rushing river below but the prettier pebbles she would take home with her. Late at night when she struggled to sleep she would hold the pebbles and rub them in her palms till her eyes closed.

Today wasn't any different and once she was at the bridge, Lucinda walked across it while dragging the palm of her hand on the three foot stone wall. She took a seat on the edge of it, closed her eyes with a deep breath and thought about her life. In the last few years she really had nothing special to account for. Her fiancé turned out to be a liar, her friends were no longer her friends, and she had little contact with family members.

To top it all off, she even lived in a secluded town hidden by a forest of redwood trees. Bringing her hands to her chest, her heart still felt heavy from the day before. Lucinda peered down at the river below. It was autumn so with the recent rains the river was a little higher than usual and more rough. She sat there wondering where the river flowed to? Did it lead to a peaceful lake? Did it keep going till it reached the ocean?

She had never been to the ocean and imagined herself living in a house on the beach. In the morning she could go jogging on the sand while the waves kissed her bare feet. Perhaps even abandoning her office job and owning a charming flower shop instead? Or having a boyfriend with wavy long hair and sun kissed skin from spending weekends swimming in the ocean with her? She grinned as she imagined how at the end of the night they could fall asleep in each others arms in front of the fireplace.

Lucinda spun her legs over so they could hang off of the ledge and dangle above the river. She pretended she was there at the beach, with her toes in the sand as the sea lapped at her feet. With the morning sun drawing a little bit of warmth to her body, it made her crave the beach life even more. She dismissed her thoughts since it was nothing but fantasy and she was too old for fairytales. With a sigh she began bringing her feet back over, but then she thought, maybe it didn't have to be a fantasy? Maybe she could go to the ocean?

Setting her legs back over the ledge, Lucinda studied the rushing water. The churning river with its hurried stream was so free and could go wherever it pleased. So why couldn't she? Suddenly Lucinda pushed her bottom off of the bridge and plunged feet first into the river below, leaving everything behind.

To be continued...

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Hey there! Thanks for reading and hopefully voting too. This is one of the first stories I began writing when I joined Wattpad in 2012, so it needs editing, and is incomplete.