Chapter 4

Wesley hesitated for a moment, then spoke carefully. "Dahlia, she's my wife. I wasn't trying to hide it from you. I didn't want you to get hurt."

"I'm suddenly not feeling well," Dahlia said, her voice icy. "I want to lie down in the back and rest. Abigail wanted to get out, right? Let her go."

It hit me in an instant. Dahlia had known about us all along. She'd set this up on purpose, making Wesley drive me out onto the highway.

Wesley looked uneasy. "But we're still on the highway. Let's wait until we reach a rest stop."

"Have her get out now," Dahlia said, her tone icy and measured, as her hand gripped the door handle. "Otherwise, I'll get out."

"Alright, alright, I'll let her out. Don't do anything crazy." Wesley quickly tried to calm her down.

The car came to a sudden stop, but I didn't move. Wesley got out and opened the back door. His voice was weary as he tried to coax me. "Honey, she's acting like a kid. Let her have her way, alright?

"Don't worry, you won't have to wait long. Once I'm back in the car, I'll call my assistant to pick you up."

I shook my head, refusing. "Take me to the rest stop."

Wesley's patience finally snapped. "Abigail, are you seriously acting like a little kid? Quit the drama already."

He dragged me out of the car, not caring how rough he was.

Before I could steady myself, the car sped off, leaving me standing there in a cloud of dust. But my bag was still left behind in the back seat.

Rain started coming down. I waited by the side of the road for two hours that day. But no one ever showed up.

That night, Wesley didn't come home. Thinking about having to go to the courthouse tomorrow, I turned in early.

The phone ringing in the middle of the night jolted me awake. It was Wesley. A wave of irritation washed over me.

I was about to hang up. But then I thought if something happened to him, it could mess up our divorce tomorrow.

I picked up the phone. But all I could hear on the other end was a noisy mess.

"Wesley, are you really getting divorced this time? If Abigail finds out, she'll cry her heart out."

"I already promised Dahlia she can enjoy being Mrs. Cole for a few months. Anyway, I'll switch back to Abigail sooner or later."

"With Abigail, I say a few nice words, and she'll be obedient."

His friends started teasing him.

"Wesley, you're something else. Are you really treating your wife like a pet?"

Wesley let out a mocking laugh. "Dealing with women is like training a pet. You have to be tough sometimes, then give them a treat. But don't be too harsh, or the pet will bolt. And don't always give treats, or they'll lose their way."

The guys' laughter got louder. "We learned something today. Wesley's the master at this pet training stuff."

Seeing the divorce papers on the table, I suddenly realized that getting only 20% was really shortchanging me.

*****

As I was starting to drift off, I heard an engine cut off outside the villa.

Right after that, two sets of footsteps came up the stairs to the second floor. They went into the guest room next to mine.

"Dahlia, maybe we should go to a hotel," Wesley said, keeping his voice low.

"Going to a hotel is so boring. Didn't you say you loved how adventurous and playful I am? What? Not into it anymore?" Dahlia said.

"But Abigail's right next door. What if she hears us?" Wesley said.

"That's what makes it exciting." Dahlia's voice was full of excitement. "I'm going to wear her pajamas, sleep in her bed, and sleep with her man."

"Fuck you, my little bitch," Wesley said.

Soon, the unmistakable sounds of the bed banging against the wall and messy, wet noises filled the air.

I let out a sharp, annoyed tsk. A wave of disgust washed over me as I sat up in bed.

I grabbed my phone, opened the surveillance app for the hallway and guest room, and hit record. Then I put in my earplugs.

Right before I slipped into sleep, it suddenly hit me. There was no way I was keeping this house anymore.

*****

It was early morning when I started down the stairs, only to spot Dahlia at the top, draped in Wesley's shirt.

"Surprise!" With that, a burst of colorful glitter and confetti came raining down from above.

That was when I finally noticed, right in the middle of the living room wall, the huge wedding photo of Wesley and me had vanished without a trace.

"Abigail, here's to you and Wesley. Happy divorce day," Dahlia chirped.

Wesley stepped out from behind her, looking at her with a mix of fondness and exasperation. "You're such a little troublemaker."

I walked over to the dining table and frowned at the plate covered in glitter and confetti.

Wesley jumped in right away. "Abigail, don't be upset. Dahlia loves having fun. She's all about these little rituals."

I gave a quiet nod in response. Then I turned to head out for breakfast.

Wesley suddenly blocked my path, stepping right in front of me. "You're not mad?"

I looked up at him, keeping my voice steady. "I'm not angry."

His face darkened.

I didn't get it. Back when I used to lose it, he'd say I was being childish. Now that I was quiet, he was the one who was upset. What did he want from me?

I couldn't be bothered to guess anymore. I sidestepped him and headed straight for the door. "Ten o'clock, outside the courthouse. Don't be late."

"Abigail, wait." Wesley stormed after me, his face dark with anger.

But Dahlia grabbed his arm, giggling as she reminded him, "Oh, did you forget? Abigail's been doing the whole cool and aloof queen thing lately. She's really selling it."

Wesley stopped dead in his tracks. "Hey, almost let her fool me."

He stood there, shooting a cold look at my back. "Fine, let her keep acting all by herself."