Chapter 4

I barely slept a wink that night. Worried Kyler and Olivia would notice how rough I looked, I got up before he woke and put on a full face of makeup.

When Kyler finally woke up, I was just coming out of the walk-in closet, ready to go. Olivia had texted me, saying she'd be here any minute.

"Babe, you look gorgeous," Kyler said, his eyes lighting up when he saw me. He got up from the bed, all clingy and ready to hug me.

But I stepped back, spun around, and shot him a playful, slightly annoyed look. "No way. I just did my makeup. Don't mess it up."

"Babe..." Kyler whined.

He gave me this pitiful look, like a giant puppy who'd just been rejected by his owner.

I grinned, grabbed my suitcase, and looked at him. "Olivia's here to pick me up. You'd better get up and get ready, or you'll be late. I'm heading out." I waved at Kyler and turned to head downstairs.

But I'd barely taken a few steps when Kyler suddenly threw off the covers, jumped out of bed, and grabbed my arm. He called out, "Babe, can you stay? Don't go."

"Huh?" I turned back to him, confused but smiling. "The tickets and hotel are all set. Honey, are you still half-asleep?"

"Maybe," Kyler mumbled, letting go of my arm and scratching the back of his head, looking lost. He gave me this puppy-dog look again. "I don't know why, but I suddenly felt really uneasy. Promise you'll come home early, okay? I'm going to miss you."

"Of course," I said, giving Kyler a deep look before turning and pulling my suitcase along. "You've got work today, so hurry up and get ready. Don't be late. When I get back, I'll have a big surprise waiting for you."

*****

"So, what happened?" Olivia couldn't wait to ask as soon as I got in the car. "What was that about Kyler having someone named Lori in his contacts? You only told me half the story last night, and I was going crazy waiting."

"So you actually have Lori in your contacts?" I asked.

"Hey, I'm a department manager. Digging up a bit of info is a piece of cake," Olivia said, scrolling through her phone and showing me. "Look. Laurence Shaw, tech guy. Laura Stone, PR. And Loretta Lane, from the admin team."

"Found you," I said.

I took Olivia's phone and tapped on Loretta's profile. She was always posting selfies. She had doe-like eyes, looking so fresh-faced and young. Honestly, she didn't seem like the kind of girl who'd send lingerie selfies or hook up with someone's husband at the office.

"Loretta Lane," I murmured.

"She's this year's intern. Lilah says she's pretty clever." Olivia leaned in, checked her out, and then looked at me, her tone suddenly uncertain. "Grace, are you okay?"

I just dropped the news casually. "I'm thinking about divorcing Kyler. Olivia, can I count on you?"

"What?" Olivia's voice shot up so suddenly that even the driver flinched.

I squeezed her hand and gave her a small smile. "Calm down. You're scaring the driver."

She blurted out, "How am I supposed to calm down? You two have been together for years.

"Everyone I know is breaking up. They got married in a rush and then split up just as fast. You guys are the only reason I still believe in love."

Olivia turned toward me, grabbing my arm, her words coming out all jumbled. "Why are you suddenly talking about divorce? Is it because Kyler didn't go to Tiusla with you? No, that can't be it. That's not like you. Wait."

Olivia suddenly froze, her gaze landing on her phone, still showing Loretta's feed. She looked like she was struggling to get the words out. "No way... I don't believe it. Grace, she... you, Kyler... are you saying..."

I nodded, saying it for her. "Yeah. He cheated, with her."

"Oh my god," Olivia wailed, clutching her head like she was the one who'd just been cheated. "I don't believe it. How could this even be real?

"This has to be a mistake, right? You guys are Grace and Kyler. If even you two can't make it, then who can?"

After a moment, Olivia snapped her head up, eyes blazing. "It's that homewrecker. Screw it, I'm calling HR and getting her booted.

"No, wait. Driver, turn the car around. I'm gonna go rip that bitch a new one. I'll mess up her face so badly. Let's see her try to steal someone else's man after that."

"Just keep driving," I said, shooting the driver an apologetic look before turning to Olivia. "Don't lose your cool. We need to play this smart."

"How am I supposed to stay calm? He actually cheated. Those two. I swear, I'm not letting them get away with this." Olivia glared at me, like she couldn't believe I was still holding it together. "Grace, how can you even smile right now?

"We should bust them red-handed and then expose them online, watch their reputations go up in flames. I..."

Suddenly, she caught the look on my face, and her rage started to fade. "The company's half yours. We can't blow this up yet, or it'll mess with your payout.

"But I swear, I have to do something about that homewrecker and Kyler. Grace, what's your plan?"

I said, "I just want to go on this trip with you and finally see the Lanterra Festival. You know I've been dreaming about it forever.

"I'll let the lawyers take it from here. I've got all the proof. And I still have no idea how to face Kyler or break the news to him... Olivia, hey, what's wrong?"

As Olivia was listening to my plans, tears started pouring down her face like a broken dam. She was sniffling and hiding her face, refusing to let me comfort her or wipe away her tears.

She said, "I'm so sorry, Grace. You're the one who's hurting, but I'm the one falling apart. I work in the company every day, and I didn't even see it coming. I feel awful. You must be in so much pain right now."

"Hey, don't cry, I promise I'm fine," I said, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Honestly, when I first found out, I wanted to break down, but I held it together so Kyler wouldn't notice.

"After that, I was just so shocked that the sadness kind of faded. I didn't even feel like crying anymore."

"But you guys have been through everything together, all those years," Olivia said, her eyes swimming with tears. "I still remember when you could barely scrape together tuition, living in that freezing dump, getting sick, and not even able to see a doctor.

"And when the company was just starting, you drank yourself into the hospital trying to win clients, and Kyler was there, crying and holding you. Now the business is thriving, money isn't a problem, so how did it end up like this?"

I gave her a bittersweet smile. "Maybe some couples are only good at surviving storms together, but once the sun comes out, they just drift apart."

Just then, another wave of sobs echoed through the car. I looked up, surprised to see we'd already reached the airport.

The driver blew his nose, switched off the meter, and said, "Sweetheart, take it from me. People change. That's life. If it's over, let him go. Good things are coming your way."

I helped Olivia, who was still sniffling, out of the car and gave the driver a grateful nod. "I know. Thank you."

The driver unloaded our luggage and stopped me when I tried to pay. "No charge for this ride. Think of it as a little gift from me. Cheer up, alright?"

"Thank you," I said.

Then the driver wiped his eyes and walked off.

Olivia, still sniffling, clutched her suitcase and looked at me. "Just give me five minutes. I promise I'll pull myself together."

I shook my head with a smile. Even if love was gone, life wasn't all bad.

By the time we got on the plane, Olivia had finally calmed down. I handed her my phone, showing Kyler's burner account and all the chat logs, and then started explaining my plan. "He's the one who cheated, so he's totally at fault.

"Even if this goes to court, he won't have the advantage. I plan to get a lawyer first and figure out how to divide the assets."

I thought for a while before continuing, "The company belongs to both of us, but I'm fine letting him keep it, as long as I get my share in cash.

"The house is under my name, so I'm planning to sell it and take the money."

"As soon as we land, I'll start hunting for a lawyer for you," Olivia promised, still cursing as she scrolled through the screenshots. "I must've been out of my mind to ever think Kyler was a decent guy.

"He's a total piece of shit, and that bitch? They're just disgusting."

"You are right," I nodded.

"How does he even have the nerve to mess around with that bitch and still say she can't compare to you? Sure, she can't, but the way he acts all high and mighty while cheating is just disgusting." Olivia fumed.

"Couldn't agree more," I said.

"I knew it. Men can't be trusted for a second. As they say, if you can trust a man, pigs can fly," Olivia huffed.

"You've got the point," I said, giving her a small smile.

"But Grace," Olivia said, her voice suddenly softening after all her ranting. She hesitated, glancing at me like she wanted to say something but couldn't get the words out.

I nudged her to just say it, and after a long pause, she finally blurted, "Are you really okay? I know you're trying to be strong, but are you actually alright?

"Don't keep it all bottled up. Seriously, even doctors say crying helps you detox emotionally. Sometimes you just need to let it out."

"I know," I replied, "but honestly, I just can't cry right now, no matter what."

Olivia stared at me, her face full of worry.

"Ever since my dad remarried and left me back in my hometown, I realized that at the end of the day, you can only rely on yourself," I said, thinking back to all those times I thought I wouldn't survive.

But now, looking back, all of it just felt like something I could shrug off and say it was in the past.

I continued, "Then I met Kyler. Sure, he helped me a lot, but I never gave up on myself. He worked odd jobs to cover my tuition, and I paid him back with my scholarship.

"He chased off the creeps who followed me, and I helped him with his studies.

"When we started our business, I was out there day and night, hustling for clients, drinking until my stomach bled. We weren't like some vines clinging to a tree. We were two oaks, standing tall together.

"We faced the cold, the storms, and the thunder side by side, and we also shared the snow, the colorful clouds, and the rainbows. Olivia, I'm really hurt, but I've never been the kind of girl who loses her head over love."