Chapter 5

I moved back into the small apartment I'd bought before the marriage.

It wasn't large, but it was clean, organized, and flooded with natural light. Edward had never set foot in this place. Even the air felt free.

I canceled the phone number I'd used for years—the one tied to everything about him—and got a new one. I only gave it to my parents and my two closest friends.

My parents were shocked at first. They tried to talk me out of it, their voices urgent and pleading. But after I sent them the screenshots, the line went quiet.

When…