Chapter 2

2

Monday morning, Mrs. Vaughn called me.

"Sasha."

I balanced the phone between my ear and shoulder while scrubbing dishes. The sink was full of soap suds.

"It's my birthday next week. Book a private room at The Grand Riverside Hotel. The biggest hall. Around forty people―Aunt Linda and the rest are coming. We'll go for drinks afterward."

"Okay."

"One more thing. Kael's cousin is coming back from New York for three days. Get the guest room ready. Use the new silk sheets and the thin duvet. She gets hot easily."

"Okay."

"Oh, and I'm wearing that wine-red gown. Get the matching shoes and clutch ready. Don't mess up the color again―last time you gave me red, it looked like a damn brick. It was a disaster, you hear me?"

"Okay."

The other end went quiet for a second. I thought she was going to hang up.

"Sasha. On the day of the banquet, Kael has something to tell everyone. Be prepared."

"What is it?"

"He'll say it when the time comes. Don't go pestering him about it."

She hung up.

After finishing the dishes, I wrung out the cloth and hung it on the faucet. I turned around and saw the plate of fried eggs on the dining table. The yolks were broken, running all over the plate and mixing with breadcrumbs.

The fork was placed on the right side―Kael always put it on the right. Every single morning was exactly the same.

I picked up the plate. I let the water run over it for thirty seconds. The yellow yolk swirled down the drain.

Kael's phone was still sitting on the table. He had left in a hurry and forgotten it.

A notification popped up from someone named "Wanda." The preview only showed one line.

"Saturday at 3 PM, Grand Riverside lobby. Bring the documents."

The Grand Riverside. The same hotel where my mother-in-law was having her party.

I stood there holding his phone for a long time. The passcode was 8931―his birthday. He hadn't changed it in three years.

I stood in the same spot and scrolled through his messages until my legs went numb.

Wanda wasn't a friend. She was a partner at a high-end divorce law firm. Her profile picture was a professional headshot in a black suit with the tagline: "Expert Divorce Consulting."

Her conversation with Kael started two months ago. The earliest message said:

"I want to consult about property division."

"I have a house in my name. I paid the down payment before the marriage, but she's been covering the mortgage. What's the split? The car was paid in full by me, but it's in her name. I need to transfer it back."

Wanda replied with a voice note. I didn't play it.

I scrolled further. I found a draft of a document. The file was titled: "Divorce Settlement Agreement."

Real Estate: Goes to the husband.

Vehicle: Transferred back to the husband.

Savings: Each party keeps their own. No joint savings.

Children: None.

Compensation Clause: Due to the wife's lack of a stable income, no additional financial compensation is required.

"Lack of a stable income."

I stared at those words. The screen dimmed, and I tapped it back to life. It dimmed again. I tapped it again. I read it three times.

Three years ago, I quit my job to move to this city for him. Before I left, my dad sat on the sofa, smoking one cigarette after another. He asked if I was sure.

I told him I was. On the day I moved, he dropped me off but didn't come upstairs. My mom told me later that he sat in the car for forty minutes.

That high-paying marketing job I gave up was now labeled as "lack of a stable income" three years later.

I was twenty-three back then. I thought love could conquer everything.

I scrolled down even further. I found an older message. It wasn't to Wanda. It was to someone named "Tinsley"―his sister.

"Tell Mom to set up a meeting next month. This girl has a great background; her dad is high up in the IRS. Mom will definitely like her."

Tinsley replied almost instantly with a laughing emoji.

Then Kael sent a photo. It was a girl in a white dress. Long straight hair, a sweet smile, sitting in a coffee shop.

"What's her name?"

"Zoe. Just call her Zoe."

"Don't let my wife find out yet."

I finished reading the conversation and put the phone back down.

I stood there for a long time.

I took screenshots of everything and sent them to myself. Then, I used Kael's phone to block my own number. I wasn't afraid of him finding out―I was afraid I'd confront him right then and there.

It wasn't time yet.

There were nine days left until the 60th birthday bash.