Chapter 1
On what should have been our fifth wedding anniversary, Ari Reynolds abandoned me in a foreign country to celebrate some college student’s birthday he was sponsoring. As I lay there, bleeding from three knife wounds after a sudden attack, he was sharing a cozy moment with her over a slice of spiced honey cake.
After losing everything of value, I somehow dragged myself to the embassy, pleading with them to call Ari. His voice on the other end was ice-cold, dripping with mockery.
“Why are you asking if she’s bored?! She’s playing games to get me there every day—if she wants to die, she should hurry up! Then I’ll deal with her corpse!”
As the call ended, my heart hardened, turning to stone.
Back in the States, the first thing I did was draft our divorce papers.
***
When I trudged home, exhausted and broken, Ari was nowhere to be found. The remnants of spiced honey cake and the mess left behind told the story of a celebration that had just wrapped up.
Suddenly, my phone rang, and Ari’s furious voice erupted. “Elisabeth, where the hell are you? I got to the hotel, and you’re gone!”
“I came back to the States,” I replied weakly, my eyes fixed on the still-bleeding wounds on my abdomen and back.
Ari was livid. “I flew all the way here to see you, and this is the stunt you pull?!”
Before I could defend myself, a woman’s voice chimed in.
“Oh, Ari, don’t be so hard on Elisabeth. She’s doing it because she loves you too much.”
I recognized Chloe Mitchell’s voice.
Ari, catching himself, paused before saying, “Fine, just stay home. Chloe’s never been to England, so I’ll show her around.”
He hung up before I could respond.
Listening to the familiar beep of a disconnected call, a crushing pain gripped my chest, leaving me trembling. On our anniversary, Ari had left me to return to England, celebrating Chloe’s birthday instead, without so much as an apology.
His attention toward Chloe made me feel invisible. I went to the hospital alone and spent five days there, not a single message from Ari.
I only saw him through the company group chat, where Chloe had posted photos of them together. He had taken her to Chinatown, treating her to local delights, and splurged on designer handbags for her. In the final photo, they walked hand-in-hand, kissing at sunset in Edinburgh.
Chloe captioned the photo: “Thank you, Ari! This was my best birthday in twenty-two years!”
The office chat buzzed, everyone gushing about how Ari had made the day unforgettable.
They visited the places I had meticulously planned for our anniversary, places I had stayed up nights perfecting the itinerary for. Ari had criticized me back then, saying it was too detailed and he was too tired to explore.
Yet with Chloe, he completed every part of the itinerary I had designed. My heart sank deeper as I scrolled through the photos, knowing Chloe had posted them intentionally for me to see. Without a word from Ari, I felt more alone than ever.
I replied to Chloe’s post with a simple, “[Congratulations.]”
Seconds later, Ari called. “Elisabeth, what’s with your snarky comment in the chat? I just took Chloe around for a couple of days. Why are you, almost thirty, competing with a twenty-two-year-old?”
I wanted to argue but couldn’t find the words.
“Delete your comment now! Chloe is like family to me, closer than anyone. If her birthday is ruined because of your remark, you’ll regret it!”
Ari kept yelling, but I chose silence. Who kisses their ‘sister’ so tenderly at sunset?
Scrolling to the last entry on my contacts, I hesitated before sending a message.
[Oakley, is the offer to go abroad still on the table?]
His reply was instant, [Absolutely. I’ll be back the day after tomorrow. Let’s leave together then!]
[Great.]
Five years ago, just after college graduation, Oakley had strongly suggested I study abroad, seeing potential in me. But Ari didn’t want a long-distance relationship, and I gave up the chance to stay and help him with his startup.
Little did I know that seven years later, I’d find myself in such a shattered state.