Seven Years a Stand-In

Synopsis

Today was a special day. Noah Hopkins's old flame had returned to the country. He left early in the morning, and for the first time in ages, he actually glanced at Chloe before heading out, saying, "Don't wait for me for dinner tonight." After seven years, it was the first time those words had come out of his mouth. When Chloe got home, the living room lights were on. She pushed the door open and saw Noah standing in the entryway, bent over to help a woman slip into her slippers. The woman wore a white dress, her long hair draped over her shoulders, and her profile was so gentle that it looked like a painting. Chloe recognized that face. She'd seen it in Noah's wallet, on his phone's lock screen, and heard it in his drunken ramblings more times than she could count. Rachel Andrews. The woman everyone thought was dead for seven years. Rachel looked up, hesitated for a second when she saw Chloe, then gave her a polite smile. "Hi, I'm Rachel Andrews, Noah's... friend." 'Friend?' Chloe thought to herself. Chloe looked at Noah. He glanced at her, his eyes cold. "You're back?" he said. "Great. Tomorrow, let's go to the city hall and finalize the divorce."