Amanda Courtney had loved Riley Griffin for eleven years. She’d been Mrs. Griffin for three. But Riley Griffin had ignored all her efforts, always treating her with indifference, staying out late, and never introducing her to his friends—people knew he was married, but no one even knew who his bride was. Amanda had thought that was just how he was, until Faye Aiken returned. Only then did she realize how Riley acted around someone he truly cared about. Heartbroken, Amanda decided to divorce him and live for herself from then on. It wasn’t until Amanda left that Riley realized what a failure of a husband he’d been. He pleaded with Amanda for a second chance, gripping her hand tightly. “I’ll wait for you as long as it takes.” “Oh, but I won’t be waiting for you anymore,” Amanda couldn’t care less. The roles were reversed, but would Amanda, who had long since lost faith in Riley, have a change of heart?
View MoreHe flips another page. This one lists his favourite foods:“Simple tastes. Grilled salmon and salad. Always skips dessert but secretly loves lemon tarts. Prefers red wine over white—Merlot especially.”He chuckles under his breath, the sound surprising even himself.She had always been spot-on with his quirks, even the ones he never admitted.How many times had she left a lemon tart on the counter, claiming it was “leftovers” from her baking, just so he wouldn’t feel guilty eating it?Further in, a recipe catches his eye:“Cinnamon coffee—Riley’s favourite.”Beneath it, Amanda had carefully outlined the steps: • Freshly ground beans, dark roast. • Two teaspoons of cinnamon powder. Must be fresh, not the old jar in the pantry! • Brew
Still, life doesn’t pause for reflection, and Riley forces himself to carry on.Determined to find a solution, he resolves to speak with Shawn and Rex, hoping their perspectives might offer clarity.But before he can arrange a time, his butler, Mr. Harris, calls to inform him that the villa’s cleaning has been completed.It has been a while since Riley last set foot in the villa.Ever since Amanda moved out, he’s only been back a handful of times.The place feels empty, too vast for one person, and its silence is oppressive.Riley has avoided it whenever possible, preferring the comfort of his more modest city apartment.Now, with the villa cleaned, he decides it’s time to return.Mr. Harris mentions something peculiar before ending the call.The janitors had discovered a few items in the rubbish bin that didn’t look like trash. Uncertain about what
Riley bites his lip gently. He’s thinking about how to explain their relationship.He thinks about the photo Amanda has posted to insta—that mysterious man.He also remembers what Rex and Shawn has said to him.Riley takes a deep breath. His fingers clutch at his pants.“I wonder if... you can give me a moment,” he begins. “to talk about Faye.”Amanda sits upright and gently pushes her hair back off her forehead. And then she nods to Riley to show she’s listening.“Sure.” She answers.He exhales slowly, trying to find the right way to say it. “Do you know how my mum passed away?”Amanda freezes for a moment, giving Riley a sad look.She shakes her head slowly.It suddenly hit Riley that Amanda had asked him about his mom a few years ago but he didn’t tell her.He lowers his eyelids, his gaze dropping to the floor. “It was a air cr
Riley feels the weight of her words settle into his chest.He looks down at the roses he has brought, now resting on the table between them.They seem ridiculous, almost insulting, in the face of everything Amanda has endured.“Is there nothing I can do?” he asks softly, his voice barely audible.Amanda stands, smoothing her hands over her dress.“You can let me go,” she said gently. “That’s what you can do, Riley. Let me live the life I’ve built for myself.”Riley lowers his head and doesn’t speak for a long time.Amanda ignores him and walks into the room.A few minutes later, she walks out of the room, a necklace in her hand.She hands Riley the necklace and says, “Give it back to you. It’s yours.”Riley looks up, surprised, at the necklace in Amanda's hand. “This—”“Maybe you don't rem
“Why? You don't want to be beholden to me?”“No, of course it's not because of this. Just because it's not working for us anymore.”Riley gives a puzzled look. “What does that mean?”“I’ve already took Kara to Dr. Hayes a long time ago.” Amanda explains.Riley stares at Amanda, her words settling heavily between them like a stone dropped in still water.“You already saw Dr. Hayes?” Riley repeats her words again, his voice barely above a whisper.Amanda nods, her fingers lightly resting on the edge of the table. “Yes, about a half year ago? Kara had her first appointment shortly after I called you.”Riley’s brow furrows as fragments of memory begin piecing themselves together.He remembers that phone call vividly now.He had been in a hotel room on a business trip, rushing to prepare for a major client meeting. At the tim
He looks down, his voice breaking slightly. “You left, and I thought I’d get used to it. But I haven’t. I can’t. Every moment you’re gone, I think about you. About us. And I realized… I love you, Amanda. I always have. I was just too blind, too stupid to see it.”Riley looks back at her, his eyes pleading. “I know I’ve been awful. I know I don’t deserve another chance. But I want to change. I will change. Please… don’t divorce me. Let me try to make this right.”“Please give me a chance to make it up to you.”Amanda looks away, her gaze flicking to the roses, then back to Riley’s face.“And I hope you can meet some of my friends—Rex, Shawn, even Faye. I want you to be part of every part of my life.”He pauses, running a hand through his hair, clearly struggling to find the right words. “I know I’ve got a lot to
Amanda stays a whole day in Kara’s house.The sun is setting as she steps out, the soft glow casting warm hues across the quiet street.The day has been long but strangely soothing—a much-needed pause after everything that’s happened lately.She tightens her scarf against the crisp evening air, feeling the faint scent of the incense still lingering on her coat.Sliding into the driver’s seat, Amanda takes a moment before starting the car.The leather of the steering wheel is cold against her fingers.She glances back at Kara’s house.Through the window, she catches a glimpse of her friend, curled up on the sofa, the faint glow of the lit incense stick flickering in the dim room.Amanda smiles softly to herself.It looks like she comes at the right time today.As the engine hums to life, Amanda adjusts the rear-view mirror.The drive bac
Kara’s parents look stunned, their faces a mix of anger and disbelief.Amanda doesn’t waver, meeting their gazes head-on.Kara breaks the silence, her voice quiet but firm. “She’s right. You’ve done enough damage. I’ve had enough.”She stands, moving to Amanda’s side, her posture strong despite the tremor in her hands.“Get out.”Her mother sputters. “Kara, we’re trying to help—”“No,” Kara says, cutting her off. “You’re not. You never have. Now leave.”Her father looks like he’s about to argue, but something in Kara’s expression stops him. He grabs his coat and heads for the door, her mother trailing behind him.As the door slams shut, Kara sinks onto the sofa, her face pale but determined. Amanda sits beside her, placing a steady hand on her shoulder.“You didn’t ha
“No, it’s not!” Kara snaps.“You come here, uninvited, and demand I help Fiona? And you expect me to be okay with it? After all the crap you’ve pulled? You’ve badmouthed Amanda—yeah, I know about that—because you don’t like me and she is my best friend. You’ve criticized every decision I’ve ever made, and now you think I owe you?”“Don't forget, I'm sick too. And you're the contributors.”Her mother stands abruptly, her hands trembling slightly. “That’s not our fault. We didn’t do it on purpose.”“Yeah, but it's true that you caused it. Double standard. Treat Fiona and me differently, right?”The room falls silent for a moment, the tension so thick Amanda feels like she can’t breathe.Even though it's Kara's family business, Amanda feels like she should say something.She couldn't interject just now, but
In the soft, flickering light of the candle, Amanda finds it hard to read Riley’s expression.He must have been smiling, just like me. She's a firm believer in that. After all, it’s our third wedding anniversary. Even though he still has a lot of work to do, he makes time to come home and have a candlelit dinner with me. Amanda closes her eyes, letting herself believe the lie for a moment.“I wish we could be together forever,” Amanda says with a happy smile. Her eyes come alive, twinkling like lakes in sunlight. Riley freezes for a while. It seems like there is an ethereal halo around her, he thinks.Suddenly, a sharp pain pierces through her abdomen, so intense it nearly knocks the wind out of her. Amanda’s face pales instantly, but she bites back the pain, not wanting to ruin the rare moment of warmth between them.But just as she gathers herself, a shrill ringtone shatters the peaceful atmosphere. The name flashing on Riley’s phone screen makes Amanda’s heart skip a beat. Before s...
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