Chapter 2

2.

I tucked the acceptance letter under my shirt and headed home. Zephyr and I were engaged, but we hadn't set the final wedding date yet.

Even though we lived together in his family's cottage, we hadn't slept in the same bed.

I hid my Harvard letter under the floorboards in my room.

The moment I finished, Zephyr walked through the front door. He was wearing a sharp black overcoat, looking clean and handsome.

This was the man I had once loved more than my own life. It made my skin crawl.

He was carrying a large, expensive cut of beef.

"I want you to cook this tonight. Make that slow-roasted brisket I like," he ordered.

In this town, meat like that was a luxury saved for Christmas.

I wasn't delusional enough to think the meat was for me.

In my past life, he made me cook this exact meal, then he packed it up and took it to Gwenyth's house.

I wanted to refuse, but I realized I still had a month before the semester started.

I couldn't afford to cause a scene yet. If he suspected anything, he might find a way to block my exit again.

Fate gave me a second chance, and I wasn't going to waste it on a temper tantrum.

I took the meat and started prepping it in the kitchen.

Zephyr didn't go to his room. He lingered in the doorway, watching me.

He cleared his throat. "The postmaster mentioned you got a letter today. Did you get into a school too?"

My heart hammered against my ribs. My hand stopped mid-slice.

Of course. He was the radio guy. He knew every piece of gossip before it even hit the streets.

I had been sloppy.

"Yeah. I wanted to see if I still had it in me, so I took the exams again," I said casually.

He frowned deeply. "I'm already sponsoring Gwenyth. I don't have any money left for your tuition. Besides, we're getting married. You don't need to be running off to the city."

"One day, when I have time, I'll take you to Boston for a weekend."

I had heard those empty promises a thousand times in my past life.

He used to dangle the city in front of me like a carrot, making me work harder while promising a trip that never happened.

He told me the city was beautiful, with fast cars, gourmet food, and massive malls.

So, I worked like a dog until I was sixty.

I thought that once we retired, we would finally go.

Instead, he and my son robbed me, called me crazy, and threw me into an asylum.

The memory of their cold faces made my blood run cold.

My son had said, "Dad doesn't have long. I have to make sure he spends his last days with the woman he actually loves."

Zephyr had added, "I've waited forty years to get away from your pathetic face."

In that moment, I realized my entire life had been a lie. My husband and son had been plotting for decades to replace me with Gwenyth.