The Final Score: When The Wife Walks Away
e ye
ng I had been C
as our an
smoothing down the emerald silk of my dress. The fabric felt coo
on in this fortress who looked at me with
, Mrs. Santos?"
w about
vy winter coats, was a duffel bag. Inside, there was a passpo
n't done yet
, her brow furrow
y. "If I leave before zero, I'm the villain. I'm the wife who walked a
zed, slicing thr
Santos is waitin
steadyi
put on m
ce was br
he stars we couldn't see through the city's haze. A private chef had prepared
iling, holding two gl
. The tailored black wool emphasized the bread
embered why I fell in love with hi
and handed
ility,"
to l
to
tabi
tween our famil
d, the wine tasting lik
s
cket pocket and pulled
iversary,
id, hopeful little j
ched
, his ph
distinct, pierci
froze in
t," I
time I had ever g
rprised, his eyebro
be an em
said, my voice steady. "Tonight is thre
esit
r the screen, caught
he flipped t
he said. "Toni
box toward me across
en
ted t
ngs glittered unde
uis
tef
tterl
beautiful
f your eyes," he sa
n at the terrace doo
to stop someone, voi
ugh! I need
st onto th
t over pajamas, her hair wil
lapel was the Sa
supposed to belong to the Underbo
mediately, his ch
? What'
table. Wine sloshed onto the white tab
utching her chest. "The fire... I keep s
psed into
her tight, anchoring
lipping instantly into doctor mo
velvet box stil
grandmother's broo
idn't h
troking
r voice against the expensive fabric. "I didn't know wh
him, tears stream
ted. She looked at
ffled. "Is th
ouched the diamonds w
y. Like the ones I
at her tear
looked
d at the
ars pierced," Ariana lied, her vo
di
knew
a wife who was 'tough.' He saw a problem he c
ht. "These might be too heavy for Car
he box fr
ed my fingers
ding her the box. "To help you
e diamonds to her ears, her
lake! You sav
too
inst the stone floor, the s
the powder r
f them lo
oom and locked the door
myself in
ess looked lik
otebook I kept hid
ifteen
ed my
re: