Chapter 2 · The Day His First Love Landed, I Fedexed The Divorce Papers

I walked past him and headed upstairs, my steps steady.

"I'll sleep in the guest room tonight," I said. "Just let me know once you've decided."

"What if I don't sign?" Lucas asked.

I stopped at the landing, not turning around.

"Then I'll file for divorce," I said. "After two years apart, the divorce goes through automatically. You don't want things to get messy, right? Emily just got back. She needs things to look respectable."

That hit a nerve.

I could hear his breathing grow heavier, like a cornered beast.

But in the end, he just said, "Suit yourself."

The sheets in the guest room had that mothball smell.

I lay there in the dark, staring at the faint green glow from the air vent on the ceiling. My phone screen lit up. It was a message from Olivia: [So? How did it go? What did he say?]

I typed back: [I asked for a divorce.]

[What was his reaction?] Olivia asked.

[He thinks I'm just being dramatic,] I replied.

Olivia called right away, her voice low. "Sarah, don't let him get to you. I found out Emily didn't just come back for a family visit.

"She's divorced, and she's got a two-year-old kid. Lucas has been going to the airport all the time these past few months. He's basically been picking her up."

"A kid?" I echoed.

"Yeah, biracial," Olivia said, pausing. "Sarah, there's something I've never dared to tell you. Before Emily got married, she met up with Lucas. That was just six months after you two tied the knot."

The cold air from the AC hissed.

I sat up, reached for the water glass on the nightstand, and took a sip. The water was icy, sliding down my throat and sending a chill straight to my stomach.

"Go on," I said.

"They sat together in a café for two hours," Olivia said, her voice trembling. "I happened to be at the next table.

"Emily was sobbing uncontrollably, saying her family was pushing her to marry abroad, but she didn't want to. Lucas... said he'd wait for her."

The water glass slipped from my hand and landed on the carpet with a dull thud.

"Sarah? Sarah, are you okay?" Olivia asked, worry in her voice.

"I'm fine," I said. "Keep going."

"After that, Emily went ahead and got married. Before she left, she sent Lucas a text, and I happened to see it," Olivia said, taking a deep breath. "The message said, 'If we still love each other in three years, let's start over.'"

Three years matched the length of our marriage.

It wasn't a coincidence after all.

It was a countdown.

"Is Lucas's phone password your wedding anniversary?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Change it," she said softly. "Emily's birthday is July 19th. Try 0719."

I hung up and sat there in the dark for a long time.

Then I slipped out of bed barefoot and walked to the master bedroom door. A sliver of light spilled from under the door. Lucas was still awake.

I pushed the door open.

Lucas was propped up against the headboard, looking at his tablet. When he saw me, he paused, caught off guard.

"What's up?" he asked.

"The password," I said. "Is 0719 the one you use for everything—your phone, your tablet, and the safe in your study?"

His face went stiff.

For a split second, I caught a flicker of panic in his eyes. It lasted barely a heartbeat, but it was enough for me.

"Who told you?" he said, setting down his tablet, his tone icy.

"Does it matter?" I echoed his words from earlier. "Lucas, for the past three years, every single day you unlocked your phone with her birthday while I was right there beside you. What was that like for you?"

He rose from the bed and walked toward me.

I took a step back.

"Sarah, it's not what you think," Lucas said, his grip on my wrist almost painful. "The password—it's just a habit. I never bothered to change it."

"And what about the ring? Is that just another habit?" I demanded.

Lucas was lost for words.

"And when you woke up after the accident, the first thing you asked about was her. Was that just another habit, too?" I pressed.

His fingers loosened their hold on my wrist.

I broke free, my wrist already marked with a red ring.

"What's in that locked drawer at the bottom of your home office?" I asked. "Should I go grab the key and see for myself?"

Lucas went white as a sheet.

Chapter 2

I walked past him and headed upstairs, my steps steady.

"I'll sleep in the guest room tonight," I said. "Just let me know once you've decided."

"What if I don't sign?" Lucas asked.

I stopped at the landing, not turning around.

That hit a nerve.

I could hear his breathing grow heavier, like a cornered beast.

But in the end, he just said, "Suit yourself."

The sheets in the guest room had that mothball smell.

I lay there in the dark, staring at the faint green glow from the air vent on the ceiling. My phone screen lit up. It was a message from Olivia: [So? How did it go? What did he say?]

I typed back: [I asked for a divorce.]

[What was his reaction?] Olivia asked.

[He thinks I'm just being dramatic,] I replied.

Olivia called right away, her voice low. "Sarah, don't let him get to you. I found out Emily didn't just come back for a family visit.

"She's divorced, and she's got a two-year-old kid. Lucas has been going to the airport all the time these past few months. He's basically been picking her up."

"A kid?" I echoed.

"Yeah, biracial," Olivia said, pausing. "Sarah, there's something I've never dared to tell you. Before Emily got married, she met up with Lucas. That was just six months after you two tied the knot."

The cold air from the AC hissed.

I sat up, reached for the water glass on the nightstand, and took a sip. The water was icy, sliding down my throat and sending a chill straight to my stomach.

"Go on," I said.

"They sat together in a café for two hours," Olivia said, her voice trembling. "I happened to be at the next table.

"Emily was sobbing uncontrollably, saying her family was pushing her to marry abroad, but she didn't want to. Lucas... said he'd wait for her."

The water glass slipped from my hand and landed on the carpet with a dull thud.

"Sarah? Sarah, are you okay?" Olivia asked, worry in her voice.

"I'm fine," I said. "Keep going."

Three years matched the length of our marriage.

It wasn't a coincidence after all.

It was a countdown.

"Is Lucas's phone password your wedding anniversary?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Change it," she said softly. "Emily's birthday is July 19th. Try 0719."

I hung up and sat there in the dark for a long time.

Then I slipped out of bed barefoot and walked to the master bedroom door. A sliver of light spilled from under the door. Lucas was still awake.

I pushed the door open.

Lucas was propped up against the headboard, looking at his tablet. When he saw me, he paused, caught off guard.

"What's up?" he asked.

"The password," I said. "Is 0719 the one you use for everything—your phone, your tablet, and the safe in your study?"

His face went stiff.

For a split second, I caught a flicker of panic in his eyes. It lasted barely a heartbeat, but it was enough for me.

"Who told you?" he said, setting down his tablet, his tone icy.

He rose from the bed and walked toward me.

I took a step back.

"Sarah, it's not what you think," Lucas said, his grip on my wrist almost painful. "The password—it's just a habit. I never bothered to change it."

"And what about the ring? Is that just another habit?" I demanded.

Lucas was lost for words.

"And when you woke up after the accident, the first thing you asked about was her. Was that just another habit, too?" I pressed.

His fingers loosened their hold on my wrist.

I broke free, my wrist already marked with a red ring.

"What's in that locked drawer at the bottom of your home office?" I asked. "Should I go grab the key and see for myself?"

Lucas went white as a sheet.