Chapter 3

After I left the operating room, the anesthesia wore off, leaving a hollow ache in my body. I clung to the cold railing in the hallway, every step a struggle.

Just then, my phone vibrated. The name that once made my heart flutter flashed on the screen: Hubby.

I answered, and Julian's voice came through, deliberately hushed and urgent.

"Nora, is the procedure done?"

"The doctor said one child is enough for us. For your career and your health, you had to get rid of this one. We don't want Leo to think we don't love him."

A brief silence.

"Nora? Can you hear me?"

"I can hear you," I managed, my voice as raw as if I'd swallowed sand. A sharp cramp seized my lower abdomen, a deep, twisting pain.

I had to double over, pressing my arm against my stomach. But the physical pain was nothing compared to the agony tearing my heart apart.

"So… is it done?" he asked, the impatience in his voice barely concealed.

I clenched my jaw, forcing back the sting in my eyes, and squeezed out one word through my teeth: "Yes."

I could clearly hear his sigh of relief on the other end, almost a small, cheerful exhale.

"You're such a good girl, babe," he said, his voice reverting to its usual smooth, Wall Street charm. "I'll bring you a gift when I get back from Miami."

I let out a bitter, silent laugh.

He mistook my silence for anger about his absence.

"Hey, Nora, don't be like that. You know how hard I work. I'll make you that pasta you love to make it up to you, okay?"

But he didn't even have two seconds of patience. Before I could answer, his words sped up. "I have to go to an important partners' meeting now. My wife is the most understanding. Bye."

The line went dead. Sharp. Uncaring.

After that call, Julian vanished.

For three whole days, not a word.

In the past, I would have made excuses for him: He's too busy with the merger, I can't bother him. Then I would have sent a few timid iMessages―"Remember to take your vitamins," "Try to get some rest"―and felt like a good, supportive wife.

Thinking about it now, it's pathetic.

He wasn't busy.

He had just unloaded a "problem" and was celebrating the "good news" under the Miami sun with the woman he actually loved.

Three days later.

I was in the living room building Legos with our son, Leo.

Julian walked in, pulling a Rimowa suitcase, his skin tanned a healthy golden-brown. He gave our son a big hug first, handing him a limited-edition Transformer Leo had been begging for.

"Leo, buddy, go play in your room. Daddy needs to talk to Mommy."

He turned to me, a suggestive look in his eyes.

Before, that hint of intimacy would have made me blush. Now, it just made me want to throw up.

Leo obediently took his toy and went upstairs.

Julian immediately wrapped his arms around me from behind, nuzzling my neck. "Babe, are you still mad at me? I know, I messed up. I wasn't there when you needed me most. I'm a real asshole. I promise, it will never happen again."

I broke free from his embrace and turned to face him. "Julian, how many times have you made that promise this month alone?"

His face froze.

I didn't give him a chance to speak. "The 8th, our anniversary. You promised you'd be home, but one phone call and you were gone for two days."

"Mid-month, I was sick. You said you'd take me to the doctor, but you ended up dropping me off on the side of the road."

"And now, this procedure…"

Listing them out, I was shocked at how clumsy his excuses and lies had been.

It wasn't that he was a good liar. It was that I had chosen to be blind.

A flash of irritation crossed his face before he quickly suppressed it, forcing a weary smile.

"Nora, come on, don't dredge up the past. I'm working my ass off at Goldman Sachs for this family, aren't I?"

When I didn't respond, he pulled a small velvet box from his suit pocket. Inside was a diamond necklace that looked incredibly expensive.

"Look, I bought this for you in Miami to say I'm sorry. Here, let me put it on you…"

I stepped aside.

His hand was left hanging in the air.

I looked up at him calmly. "I just had a procedure. I need to rest. You can sleep in the guest room tonight."

Leaving him there stunned, I turned and walked upstairs.

The moment I entered the bedroom, my burner phone buzzed. I had been following that user ID.

I opened the Reddit thread. Cassandra had posted a new photo.

When I saw it, my entire body started to shake with rage.

It was a picture of her pet.

A prized Afghan Hound, wearing a glittering diamond collar around its neck.

Her smug caption was underneath:

[The idiot is probably throwing a fit at home. I gave her husband a collar that Lucky didn't like and told him to use it to shut his washed-up wife up.]

[I'd love to see her face when she gets this "gift." She'll probably cry with gratitude, right?]

I stared at the photo.

The necklace on the dog's neck was identical to the one Julian had just tried to give me.

After eight years of marriage, in his eyes, I wasn't even worth as much as Cassandra's dog.

The immense disappointment was followed by an even greater rage.

But that fury made me feel clearer than I had in years.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and pushed the urge to scream down into the deepest part of my soul.

"Nora, don't be mad, I'm really sorry."

Julian pushed the door open, a goofy grin on his face.

He presented a pink card like a magician. "Here, one 'Don't Be Mad At Me' card. For your troubles, my queen."

I took it, confused.

The edges of the card were yellowed with age. The date on it was from ten years ago.