Five Minutes explores five minutes of a life in one hundred words. Five minutes is edited by Susanna Baird, with editorial support from managing editor Maria s. picone, newsletter editor kate meen, and founding reader bobbi lerman, plus our rotating team of guest readers, who you can meet in the latest newsletteR. Five Minutes was founded in October 2020, with the Salem (Mass.)-based writing group Carrot Cake Writers supplying the journal’s first pieces. We’d love to read your five. Submit here

Manila

Yesterday morning in our kitchen, my husband pushed his coffee aside. "I hired a private investigator last month," he said, his voice flat. My hand locked, the silver butter knife hovering over the cold toast. "Why?" He didn't blink, sliding a thick manila envelope across the smooth marble counter. "Because you turned your phone screen down every time I walked into the bedroom. The photos from the Hilton are inside." Right then, I knew our ten-year marriage was completely over. I sat there frozen, watching the yellow butter melt into the burnt crust while we silently stared at each other.

Elowen Dovren is an emerging writer whose work spans multiple genres. Her work has been featured on prominent digital platforms like Substack and Medium. Instagram: @elowendovren.writes

A Smart Future