Chapter 1
We had barely reached East Veridia International Airport when my phone alerted me that our plane tickets had been rebooked.
"Wendy flew here to meet us," Adrian said. "I moved us to a flight 2 hours later so we wouldn't miss her. We'll all go home together."
Before I could react, he took my suitcase and walked into the airport lounge.
I stared after him. "I have a business deal to sign as soon as we get home!"
He didn't even turn around.
"Wendy came all this way out of kindness. Are you really going to abandon her over something so minor?"
'He called that minor?'
My chest tightened.
Wendy had told me only the night before that she would wait for us at home. Meanwhile, she and my husband had secretly made other plans.
I used to think Adrian was simply thoughtful, that he paid Wendy a little extra attention because she was my friend. The messages he sent during our k********g had finally shown me how foolish that belief was.
I checked my phone. Tickets for an earlier flight would remain on sale for another 2 minutes.
Before I could buy one, Adrian pressed my hand down.
"If you leave without us, Wendy will be hurt. Can you stop acting on impulse?"
I watched the booking window close, and my frustration gave way to bitterness.
This wasn't the first time.
For our last wedding anniversary, we had booked a trip to Sunshore and hired a photographer in advance. When Wendy decided she wanted to join us, Adrian postponed everything by a day to wait for her.
Before that, I had spent 2 weeks trying to get concert tickets for my birthday. Wendy wanted to see a stage play instead, so Adrian canceled my tickets. When we reached the theater, the two of them realized they had forgotten to buy one for me.
I spent my birthday outside the theater alone.
Wendy apologized afterward. Adrian blamed me for not checking my own ticket.
"You didn't bother taking care of it yourself. How can you blame Wendy?"
Somewhere along the way, ours had become a marriage built for three.
I drew a slow breath and was about to speak when Adrian's phone rang.
The moment he answered, a smile spread over his face. I hadn't seen him smile like that in a long time.
"Wendy's off the plane. Let's go get her."
I followed him and soon spotted Wendy in the arrivals hall.
"Claire! I finally found you guys!"
She raced toward us. Instead of hugging me, she threw herself into Adrian's arms.
He stiffened for a moment, but didn't push her away.
They looked like lovers reuniting after a long separation, a scene straight out of a romance movie.
Standing beside them, I felt like an extra in their love story.
After exchanging a few words with him, Wendy finally seemed to remember me. Blushing, she took my hand.
"I'm sorry, Claire. I got so excited that I wasn't paying attention."
I pulled my hand free and smiled.
"You couldn't tell me from my husband?"
Her eyes immediately filled with tears.
"Claire, are you angry? I was just so happy to see you that I forgot myself. It was my fault. Maybe I shouldn't travel with you after all."
She lifted her suitcase as if to leave, but stayed rooted to the spot.
Adrian's expression darkened as he turned to me.
"Claire Donovan, did the k********g scare all the sense out of you? Wendy was so worried about you that she hasn't slept properly in days. She hugged the wrong person because she was overwhelmed. Do you have to be so vicious about it?"
Whenever Wendy cried, he found a reason to defend her. Whatever I said was automatically wrong.
I wanted to argue, but the words died in my throat. Adrian would only turn whatever I said against me.
Suddenly, I was exhausted.
An airport announcement sounded overhead.
"You're right," I said.
Then I turned back toward the lounge to collect my suitcase.
Once we boarded, Wendy insisted on sitting separately from us so no one would get the wrong idea.
Adrian said nothing, but immediately helped her stow her suitcase and find her seat.
The aisle was crowded, and I was left holding my own bag. My hand was still injured, so I called to him.
"Adrian, my hand is still injured."
He glanced back but made no move to help.
"Wendy's local language isn't very good. She's alone in business class, and she may have trouble communicating with the flight attendants. Let me get her settled first. Wait for me. I won't be long."
He never returned.
After everyone was seated, a flight attendant stowed my suitcase for me.
On my way back from washing my hands, I saw Adrian fastening Wendy's seat belt.
She looked up. Their eyes met and held for several seconds.
They didn't look away until an announcement broke the moment.
I saw the tips of Adrian's ears turn red and quietly returned to my seat.
He didn't join me until the plane took off.
"Sorry. I got busy and couldn't make it back."
I gave him a humorless smile.
"Busy fastening her seat belt? Her local language is poor, Adrian, not her motor skills."
Impatience flashed in his eyes.
"Claire, can you stop? She's your best friend. I was only helping her out. We were just rescued. I don't have the energy for another fight."
Before I could answer, he put on his noise-canceling headphones.
Whenever he put another woman before me, he dismissed it as a harmless favor. With Wendy, those favors never seemed to end.
He had even forgotten that my wound hadn't healed.
That was the moment I knew our marriage was over.
As the plane lifted into the air, I sent a message to a friend who was an attorney.
Claire: Draft a divorce agreement for me. I need it within 2 days.
