Chapter 1
On our seventh wedding anniversary, Fred Shelton abandoned me.
It was because his precious assistant caught a cold.
Everyone at the party was watching me like I was the punchline, waiting to see how I'd save face.
"Mrs. Shelton, Mr. Shelton has left. Are we still keeping the party going?" Some people couldn't resist making things worse for me, eager to rub it in while the chaos unfolded.
Back then, I would have totally lost it, and started crying and throwing a tantrum to force an explanation out of him.
But now, I honestly didn't care because the seven-year marriage deal was almost over.
I ended the party calmly.
like I thought, Fred didn't come home all night.
The next day, I was scrolling through Instagram when I saw a post from Fred's assistant.
It was a selfie. In the photo, she was lying in bed looking sick. In the corner, I could spot a man's pant leg.
The caption read: [So glad you're here.]
I liked it without a second thought, but it disappeared from my feed in no time.
Fred texted me: [Have lunch ready when I get home at noon.]
I texted back: [Okay.]
The housekeeper had the day off, so I ended up making lunch myself.
By the time Fred got home, I'd finished cooking.
"You made all this?" Fred asked.
He picked up his fork, took a bite, and commented, "It tastes terrible, just like always."
His criticism didn't surprise me at all. Fred was always nitpicking everything I did.
Even when the food was flawless, he'd still find a way to complain.
Back then, I would've been beating myself up, apologizing and promising to fix it next time.
I looked at him and said plainly, "The housekeeper's off today, so I had to cook."
"This is disgusting. Don't you think so?" Fred said.
Before I could respond, he started tossing each dish straight into the trash.
Fred never cared about my dignity or feelings. He'd do whatever he wanted, no matter how it made me look.
Once, I argued with him in the car about him getting too close to Rosalind Hudson.
He got annoyed and left me stranded on the highway.
I had to make my way home in heels alone.
My feet were swollen for days after that, and walking was a nightmare.
Thinking about all that, I knew better than to complain about anything he did.
Fred grinned at me. "Let's head out for dinner. Hope you're not upset I tossed your food."
"Not at all," I said flatly.
We headed down to the basement parking lot, and before we even got in the car, his phone rang.
He picked up, and a sweet, girlish voice came through the speaker. "Fred."
Fred immediately stepped away from me, moving off to the side.
I couldn't hear what she was saying, but Fred's face instantly darkened.
"Got it. I'll be there right away," he said.
After hanging up, he turned to me. "There's an issue at the company. We need to stop by."
As soon as we got in the car, I saw it was filled with hanging decorations and plush toys.
I remembered Fred never liked this kind of stuff, so it was obvious who put them there.
"Rosalind put these up. She said my car was too dull," Fred explained.
I replied calmly, "Yeah, they're pretty cute."
Fred seemed surprised that I wasn't making a fuss.
"Not gonna toss them?" he asked.
I smiled. Back then, I would've trashed anything in his car that belonged to that woman.
But now, I was completely over him. If I didn't care about him anymore, I would not care about anything else.
"Go deal with your company stuff first. I'm hungry," I said.
Fred nodded and started the car without another word.
When we pulled up outside his office, I didn't bother going in with him. I decided to wait in the car.
Then, my phone buzzed with a text. [I'm back. Time to fulfill your seven-year deal!]
I replied: [Sure.]
Not long after, Fred came downstairs with Rosalind.
Rosalind opened the passenger door, only to find me sitting there.
A flicker of annoyance crossed her face, but with Fred right there, she quickly masked it with surprise.
She said, "Halle, I didn't expect to see you here."
Fred replied without missing a beat, "Sit in the back. Rosalind gets carsick. Let her have the front."
I replied, "Okay."
I stepped out of the passenger seat.
Rosalind got exactly what she wanted, shooting me a smug look as she slid into the front seat and made sure to thank me.
"Thanks, Halle," she said.
I leaned back in the rear seat, closed my eyes, and didn't bother to respond.
Twenty minutes later, Fred pulled up to the restaurant.
It was a high-end barbecue place. He grabbed a spot without much thought.
I took the seat across from him, while Rosalind slid in right next to him.
Halfway through the meal, Fred got up to use the restroom.
The table was piled with stuff. When I tried to get up, I didn't notice the drink and bumped it.
With a smack, the drink splashed all over Rosalind.
Rosalind let out a scream.
I was about to apologize, but Rosalind jumped in first, trying to pin the blame on me.
She said, "Halle, I swear I didn't know it was your anniversary. If I'd known, I never would've messaged Fred.
"I'm all alone in Luruarmar, and Fred's the only one I really talk to. I'm really sorry."
She made sure the neighbors caught every word.
Then, Fred walked back in and caught every word.
It was obvious that Rosalind ended up soaked because I did it on purpose.
Fred practically pushed me aside as he hurried over to check on Rosalind.