Chapter 2

Victoria glanced at the checks on the table, and I stole a panicked look at them too, terrified she might take them back. I jumped in before she could change her mind.

"But hey, nothing worth doing is easy. We've been married ten years. I know him inside and out. So what exactly do you need from me?"

Victoria looked satisfied and slid her sunglasses back on. "Smart girl!" she said.

On her way out, she handed me a photo. "Get him looking like this and deliver him to my bed. I don't care how you do it. Three days from now, room 888 at the Grand Crest Hotel."

She tossed me a room key card, and I took it, though something still nagged at me. "Any method works? Even pills?" I asked.

Victoria's expression turned dark in an instant. "I want him to come willingly. I just don't wanna waste my energy chasing him down. Otherwise I'd just go after Ryan myself. Wouldn't drugging him be..."

My head bobbed before she even finished.

"Got it, got it. Keep it clean. No worries, we're married. He keeps his own stash. It's just a little spice in the bedroom, that's all!"

Victoria shot me a look of mild surprise.

"I know how it works. I've seen it in all the shows," I explained quickly.

I tucked the two checks into my pocket, grabbed my grocery basket, and marched out of that café like I owned the place.

That night, I skipped cooking, ordered Lily a lobster feast, and sent her off to enjoy it while I waited at home for Ryan to show up.

The second he pushed open the front door, he started in on me.

"Don't bother fighting this. I'm gonna be real with you. I only married you because of Chloe. She's back now, and she's willing to give me another chance. I can't let her slip away again."

I had to dig up every sad memory I had just to keep from laughing out loud.

"Fine. I'll sign the divorce papers!" I said.

Ryan had been gearing up for a long speech, but he froze mid-sentence and stared at me in total disbelief.

"Wait, seriously? You're not messing with me?"

I gave him a solemn nod.

"I've thought it through. If your mind is made up, I'm not gonna cling to you. But you wronged me first. All these years..."

I couldn't cry on cue, so I ducked my head, let my shoulders shake, and forced my voice into a convincing tremble.

"I gave everything to this family. I gave you a daughter, and she still has school ahead of her. That's not cheap. So can't you give me a bigger share of the assets?"

Something flickered across Ryan's face. A hint of guilt, maybe.

"But Chloe wants to buy a place too. And I'm the one who earned all the money. It's not like you contributed much."

My head snapped up. I didn't love the guy, never really did, but playing Chloe's stand-in for all those years had been exhausting.

I had handled every single thing in that house, big and small. I'd even outlasted his impossible mother, and back in his hometown, everyone called me the perfect daughter-in-law.

Ryan looked away, guilt written all over his face.

"You'll get what's fair. I won't short you," he muttered.

I took a deep breath, thought about the seven million in my bag, and pivoted to a different request.

"Look, all these years with you, I never once got to live the good life. I want one night in the penthouse suite at the Grand Crest Hotel. Call it closure for our ten years."

Ryan shook his head without thinking.

"But I promised Chloe I wouldn't sleep with you again."

I almost laughed. As if that had ever stopped him before, especially given his track record in the bedroom.