Chapter 3

3

Silas's voice was as gentle as ever. Every word was clear.

But the meaning felt like a foreign language I couldn't understand.

It felt like someone had taken a serrated blade to my chest. I couldn't breathe.

I felt like the world's biggest idiot for traveling all this way just to surprise him.

I don't even remember how I left that village.

I just remember the fireworks were blinding and the walk back was freezing.

I checked into a cheap, run-down motel and tried to piece together the wreckage of my life.

I knew who Quinn Harlow was.

I first saw her name on Silas's phone years ago.

He told me he was going to a high school reunion and that Quinn would be there.

He was so open about it. He called her a "buddy" and even made us follow each other on Instagram.

Because he was so transparent, I never suspected a thing.

God, he was a good actor.

I opened Quinn's profile. It was filled with photos of the boy, often with a "mystery" man's shadow or sleeve in the frame.

Her latest post was about a holiday dinner. She wrote about finally being accepted by her "mother-in-law."

Knowing the truth now, the photos were a cruel joke.

They were a happy family playing house while I was the moron cheering them on from the sidelines.

I tried to eat some instant ramen, but it was cold and tasted like cardboard.

Back in college, I skipped meals to buy Silas gifts.

Ramen used to be a luxury back then. I used to think it was a feast.

Now, it just tasted like salt and regret.

The next morning, I woke up early.

My head was a mess. I didn't know if I should just vanish or confront him right then.

Even then, a small, pathetic part of me was hoping for an explanation. Even after seeing them embrace, I wanted a reason to stay.

Silas, did you really lie to me for seven years? Was every single moment we shared a lie?

I decided to get some answers. I paid a local guy a few bucks to dig up dirt on the Sterlings and the Harlows.

In a town that small, secrets travel fast. I got the whole story in an hour.

The drama between those two families was legendary in the county.

Silas and Quinn were high school sweethearts.

But their families had been at war for decades over a property line dispute. They hated each other on sight.

But the teenagers didn't care. They were obsessed with each other.

In their senior year, they were caught together in a parked car behind the gym.

Their parents forced them to break up, but they just went underground.

When Silas went off to college, Quinn stayed behind to work and save money. They supposedly lost touch.

But four years later, Quinn showed up with a baby and dropped him off at the Sterlings' house.

And recently, Quinn had made a lot of money working out of state. Combined with the fact that Silas's brother needed money for a wedding, the Sterlings finally opened their doors to her.

My stomach churned until I felt like I was going to throw up.

Seven years. Silas had played me for seven years.

I'd been married for seven years and didn't know my husband had a son with his first love.

He was already with her when we started dating. My money had been raising that child.

His whole family was in on it. They treated me like a cash cow.

I sat on the edge of the motel bed, my eyes burning.

Every time my parents asked about grandkids, I told them I wanted to respect Silas's timeline.

Now I knew why he didn't want kids with me. He already had one with the woman he actually loved.

Right then, my phone buzzed.

It was a text from Silas.

"Jade, it's the holidays. Aren't you going to send me something special?"

"Or are you planning a big surprise for me?"

A bitter smile touched my lips.

Every year, I gave Silas a massive holiday bonus. I also sent checks to every member of his family.

Since I hadn't sent anything yet, he was getting impatient.

I had traveled nearly twenty hours to give him a surprise.

Too bad the surprise was on me.

I don't think anyone could just "get over" something like this.

The day dragged on like a century. I couldn't fathom why Silas chose to humiliate me this way.

Suddenly, I realized I didn't want to fight anymore. Was it my fault for loving him too much?