Chapter 5

The red light glowed, silent and steady, like a warning no one could ignore.

The hallway fell quiet.

Linda collapsed onto the bench, looking utterly lost, as if every ounce of strength had been drained from her. She no longer cursed—just stared blankly at the tightly shut door.

Laura sat beside her, murmuring soft words of comfort. For a moment, they truly looked like a mother and a daughter-in-law bound by shared crisis.

I sat by myself, away from everyone else. A spectator.

My phone buzzed. It was a message from my lawyer, Greg Warren.

He said, "Ms. Hughes, the asset preservation order is granted. William Brooks' accounts and properties are frozen. No movement."

I replied: [Got it.]

Then I opened up the divorce agreement I'd prepared ages ago.

Property division. Debts. Custody—though there were no children. Every line was clear. Every term was final.

I was so focused that I didn't notice the footsteps.

"Christine..." It was Laura.

She stood before me, her eyes swollen and red, her face showing a mix of fear, uncertainty, and just a bit of stubbornness.

"Can we... talk for a minute?" she asked quietly.

I kept my eyes on my phone, not even bothering to look up. "We have nothing to talk about."

"I know you hate me, and you hate William too," Laura said, her voice deliberately soft and pitiful. "But feelings... they're complicated. William and I really do love each other. He said being with you was suffocating, that you two had nothing in common..."

"So," I finally looked up and cut her off, "he found someone he could actually talk to and ended up in the OR because of it. Is that the story?"

My tone was calm and indifferent, but Laura still turned pale.

"That's not what I meant..." she stammered, trying to explain. "I just mean, if you don't love him anymore, why hold on? Why are you making things hard for him—and for all of us—right now?"

"Making things hard for him?" I let out a laugh, finding it all so absurd. "What did I do? Hit him? Scream? I made a choice. The law gave me the right, and I used it. That's all."

I stood up, towering over her thanks to my height.

"Ms. White, here's a tip. This isn't the time for you to come over and talk about relationship drama. You should go comfort your 'true love's mom and wait with her."

"And," I leaned in, lowering my voice so only she could hear, "don't call me 'Christine' ever again. I don't even know you."

Laura flinched as if scalded. She bit her lip, tears brimming in her eyes, but didn't dare say another word. She turned and ran back to Linda.

Watching them clinging to each other and crying, I felt no triumph. Only a hollow, frozen emptiness.

This was the man I'd loved for five years and married for three.

This was the woman I had served like my own mother.

In the end, because of him, Linda and Laura had aligned against me. And now, because of him, they were performing this entire absurd farce.

The seconds ticked by.

The surgery light went off.

The door was pushed open, and a nurse walked out.

Linda and Laura sprang up and rushed over. "How is he? Is he okay?" Linda called out.

The nurse pulled down her mask, looking worn out. "The surgery went really well. He's out of the woods now. He'll be monitored in the ICU for 24 hours. If all goes well, he'll move to a regular room."

Linda's legs buckled, and she dropped to her knees, bursting into loud, ugly sobs, mumbling, "Oh, thank heavens."

Laura cried with relief, wrapping her arms around Linda. They clung to each other, sobbing like lost children.

I didn't move.

So he made it.

Fine.

Death would have been too easy for him.

Only if he lived could he pay back every single thing he owed me.

I turned to leave.

Behind me, the nurse called out, "Family? You'll need to settle the bill now."

Linda's sobs cut off abruptly.

She and Laura exchanged a look, then, almost in unison, both turned to stare at me.