Chapter 2

Adrian came home at 7:13 the next morning.

I was already in the kitchen. I hadn't slept.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Sienna touching his hair.

And Adrian smiling.

But when the front door opened, I had already wiped my face.

I didn't want him to know. Not yet.

“Baby?”

He walked in with a small gift bag in his hand.

Then he smiled. “I wanted to make up for last night.”

For one stupid second, my heart almost softened.

Five years of marriage does that to you.

You can know a man is lying and still remember how it felt when he wasn't.

He handed me the bag.

“I know yesterday wasn’t how we planned it. I wanted to make it up to you.”

“Open it.”

I did.

Then I stopped breathing. Inside was a diamond necklace. The same one.

The same necklace I'd seen around Sienna's neck less than twelve hours ago.

My fingers tightened around the box.

Adrian didn't notice.

Or maybe he simply didn't care.

“I saw it and thought of you,” he said.

I looked at him. “Really?”

“Of course.”

He leaned down and kissed my forehead.

The same kiss. The same voice. The same man who had been sitting across from another woman last night.

I forced a smile.

“Thank you.”

His shoulders relaxed.

“I knew you'd understand.”

Understand. I almost laughed.

Instead, I put the necklace back into the box.

“You must be tired. Go shower.”

He smiled and disappeared into the bathroom. A minute later, I heard the water running.

I stood there for a long time. Then I walked into the bedroom. His phone was on the nightstand. Unlocked.

For five years, Adrian had never worried about me looking through it. He thought trust meant privacy. I used to think so too.

I opened his banking app. At first, I only wanted to find the restaurant charge.

Instead, I found the necklace. Purchased three months ago.

Delivered to: Sienna Parker.

I stared at the name. Then I kept scrolling.

Hotels. Private dinners. Weekend resorts. Jewelry. Flowers. Dozens of charges I had never seen.

Things I'd once asked him for. Things he'd told me we couldn't afford.

I found a lease next. A luxury apartment. Sienna Parker.

Signed six months ago.

I sat down on the edge of the bed. That was the week Adrian first started coming home late. The week I had started making excuses for him.

He's under pressure. His company needs him.

Marriage means giving each other space.

I had spent six months protecting a man who didn't need my protection.

Then I found the first hotel reservation. My finger stopped.

The date was exactly 188 days ago.

I stared at it until the numbers blurred.

For 188 days, I had believed I was living a marriage.

For 188 days, he had been living another life.

The shower stopped.

I quickly saved every receipt, reservation, and document I could find.

Then I put his phone back exactly where I'd found it.

When Adrian walked out, I was sitting on the bed.

Calm.

“Feeling better?” I asked.

He smiled. “Much.”

I smiled back. “Good.”

He had no idea.

And for the first time since last night, I felt something other than heartbreak.

Not anger. Not revenge.

Control.

After he left for work, I opened my laptop. The divorce lawyer's email was still there.

My fingers hovered over the keyboard.

Then I typed: Please help me draft a divorce agreement.

I looked at the sentence for a long time.

Then I pressed Send.