Chapter 1

On our fifth wedding anniversary, my husband was cutting another woman’s son’s birthday cake.

The positive pregnancy test I had planned to give him was still hidden deep inside my purse.

I sat alone at a table set for two, staring at the photo Melanie had posted less than a minute ago.

Sam was leaning over a chocolate cake covered with eight candles. Lucas stood behind him, one hand over the boy’s as they pushed the knife through the first slice.

Melanie stood beside them.

She was Lucas’s closest friend from college. Sam was her eight-year-old son.

Tonight, the three of them looked like a family.

Across from me, Lucas’s chair had been empty for more than two hours.

He had promised to be here by seven.

At 9:08, the waiter passed my table again. This time, he didn’t ask whether I wanted to order. He only glanced at the untouched second place setting before moving on.

My phone lit up.

For one stupid second, I thought Lucas was finally calling.

Instead, an automated calendar reminder appeared.

AUDREY — DO NOT BOOK.

I stared at it.

Saturday Twenty-Two.

A year ago, Lucas had created that calendar himself.

After Lucas finally pulled his startup back from the edge of bankruptcy, he held my hands and apologized for all the days his work had taken him away from me.

"Twenty-four Saturdays," he had promised, kissing my forehead. "No work. No excuses. Just us."

Lucas had forgotten the number months ago.

I hadn’t.

Tonight was the twenty-second Saturday—and our fifth wedding anniversary.

At seven, I had still believed he was coming.

At eight, I ordered another glass of water.

At nine, Melanie posted the photo.

A minute later, Lucas finally texted me.

"His father didn’t show. Sam was crying. I couldn’t leave him like that. I’m sorry, Audrey. I’ll make tonight up to you."

I stared at the last sentence. It was not the first time I had read it.

Lucas had said the same thing on my birthday when Melanie called about a burst pipe.

He had said it two months ago when we were halfway through a movie and Sam fell at the park.

He had said it after a weekend trip he shortened because Melanie needed help moving furniture.

Melanie never directly demanded that he come.

She would say they would manage, and Lucas would hear Sam crying in the background. Then he would reach for his car keys.

Lucas believed I could handle being disappointed.

Because I was his wife.

I was the person he trusted to understand and wait.

My hand slipped into my purse and touched the small white box hidden beneath my wallet.

Inside was the positive pregnancy test I had taken three days ago.

I had brought it with me tonight because I wanted to tell Lucas over dinner.

For the last three days, I had imagined his face when he opened the box.

I thought our fifth anniversary would become the night Lucas learned we were starting our own family.

Instead, Lucas was somewhere else helping another child blow out birthday candles.

"You can clear the table," I told the waiter.

I paid the bill and walked outside.

In my car, I called my lawyer.

Miriam answered on the second ring.

"Prepare the divorce papers," I said.

The line went quiet. "File them?"

"Not yet."

"And Blake Living?"

Years ago, part of my mother’s inheritance had helped keep the company alive. Lucas had handled most of my interests ever since because I trusted him to manage them for both of us.

"Leave everything where it is tonight."

I ended the call.

Before putting my phone away, I opened Audrey Saturdays one more time.

AUDREY — DO NOT BOOK.

Twenty-two dates had passed.

Only two remained.

Lucas still thought there would always be another dinner, another weekend, another chance to make things up to me.

He just didn’t know I was counting them.