Beyond Betrayal: A Heart's Escape

l, reddish mark, just below her ear, partially h

ll the remaining warmth, all the lingering doubt,

been to, of champagne I hadn' t tasted. I' d always accepted her excuses. Late meetings. Investor din

ur three years of marri

essure on her shoulders. I created a spac

e word was quiet,

with genuine shock. I had

oice flat. I turned and walked out of the ki

closet and lay down on the sofa. I didn' t tur

room. The door closed, and then I heard her voice,

. I don' t know how, but he knows... He wants a divorce... No, y

. The house fe

om the hallway. She didn' t say anything. She just stood there, watching me. I closed my eyes, pretending to

fee table. I ignored it. I

d it up. A series of messa

d the f

m, wearing nothing but one of my old dress shirts. Liam' s arm was wrapped ar

xplicit, more damning than the last. They were a catalog of my w

s was his "fix." A scorched-earth campaign

me from the bed

ay. Chloe was tossing in her sleep

her voice thick with sleep. "I' m

ep, she begged me to stay. Awake, she had

n life, and I felt nothing but a vast, empty coldness.

opened the fridge, took out the eggs and bacon. With methodical, practiced m

the las