Chapter 1

Claire

My hands ran cold as I stepped into the party. It was my first time out in society in three years.

My husband, Gerald, and I had a wedding because I was carrying his baby. But my car skidded off the road in Atlanta, where I had been headed for a skiing trip. It had crashed.

When I awoke a week later, a nurse had given me the unfortunate news. I had lost our baby. The child had been a baby girl. The hospital’s fluorescent lights had only further sharpened my pain. We had held a small funeral service and on the way back, Gerald had held my hand in between my sobs. 

“I'll arrange for you to see a therapist,” he told me one day, “if you need one.”

We lived in a mansion in Massachusetts so I had had ample space in my retreat. Gerald owned a business empire in tech and recently, his team had developed Treble, a social media app that allowed people to share their thoughts and feelings musically.

I constantly felt as though I was alone even though we were living in the same house. When I felt lonely or isolated, I would sometimes bicker with Gerald. It was devastating for me. 

Despite all this, tonight, I was happy because I was going to finally meet his friends. I felt as though our relationship was finally about to change for the better. 

But when I entered the dimly lit hall with the soft music in the background and saw so many people all at once, I had to take a deep breath to steady myself.

Gerald flashed a grin at me and I smiled weakly back at him.

A curvy brunette in a glittering red dress walked up to us just then. I was astonished when I saw her. But before I could speak, Gerald opened his arms and she leaned in for a hug.

A hot surge of jealousy tugged at my heart.

My husband gazed warmly at the woman and said, “Christina! How are you?”

“I just got back from France this morning,” she said.

“Oh, how was the tour?” Gerald asked, completely forgetting to introduce me to this woman.

“Oh, I had a great time shooting Bonnie.”

Bonnie was a new N*****x series and this woman had played one of the supporting characters. I had deliberately avoided that television series because I had always hated Christina.

Christina Martin had been Gerald’s first love and ex-girlfriend. For the past three years, however, I had had no idea that they were still in contact, let alone that she was in the same country as us.

My heart ripped open. I swallowed hard.  

Gerald picked up three glasses of champagne from a server’s tray and handed one to me.

What? I couldn’t drink because of my alcohol allergies. I hadn’t even had a glass of wine at our wedding. How could he forget that? It was startling for me that he could dismiss such a major thing. 

Completely oblivious to my shock, Gerald and Christina chattered on. “I’m exhausted from having to divorce Ray while touring. He called me so many times,” she rolled her eyes.

“Why didn’t you just call my mother to vent? She’d have happily lent a listening ear,” he replied, still not taking his eyes off her.

“I don’t know,” the woman said, sipping her champagne, “I just didn’t feel up to talking about it.”

“How are you feeling about it now?” Gerald murmured, slipping a hand on her back.

She smiled. “I’m just happy I get to stay in the States for the next few months at least.”

“What flowers should I send to your hotel to welcome you back on your first day here?” Gerald said.

Christina chuckled and thumped Gerald on the shoulder, “Already taking over Ray’s responsibilities?”. She raised an eyebrow at him. 

The two of them were breathing into each other’s faces. And they were completely ignoring me. 

I had seen enough. My stomach turning with disgust and my mouth dry as sandpaper from the shock, I darted towards the powder room.

I took a few deep breaths before I opened the door a crack and turned to look towards the floor. How could he so boldly act as though I were invisible? And how could he have possibly gotten back with Christina after marrying me? 

After splashing some water on my face, I slammed the door shut. I was shaking when I left for the corridor. When I reached the end, I could hear voices on the other side and I stopped.

“Hey baby, it’s okay,” Gerald was murmuring. A woman’s voice sniffled and sobbed.

I turned another step and saw them: Gerald holding Christina closely and her weeping into his shoulder.

“I don’t want to live at all if you leave me,” she cried.

“Then I won’t,” Gerald replied.

I gasped and they turned to look at me. Gerald went white with shock. But Christina merely flared in the eyes. There was no embarrassment on her face at having been caught with another woman’s husband. 

“What is happening here?” I asked.

“Nothing, I was just comforting Christina,” Gerald said softly, composing himself.

“This,” I gestured towards his hands on her body, “is nothing?” 

Gerald’s face was blank, expressionless, as though he owed me no explanation. My blood began to boil.

Christina turned her face up to him. “Don’t worry,” she murmured to him, “She’s upset because I didn’t greet her earlier.”

She looked directly into my eyes and then pulled Gerald closer. She was dangling him in front of me on purpose – to show me how much he cared for her.

I clenched my fist. “Why you–” I frothed at her, ready to begin an altercation.

“Claire, stop,” Gerald got defensive, even though I had no intention of hurting Christina. It turns out she’s so important to him.

“You two deserve each other!” I yelled, angry tears appearing in my eyes. 

Stomping my feet, I turned around and left for the exit immediately. I would not stay here a minute longer.

How could he do this to me?!

I looked back as the chauffeur opened the car door for me. I was hoping that Gerald would come after me. But he didn’t.  Heartbroken, I sat down in the car and left.

***

I dabbed a paper napkin on my wet eyes and gazed into the reflection on the car window. My whole world had shattered to pieces over the course of a single evening. 

Gerald texted me. He said that he had left for some “important business” and would be back home late. I was sure that the “important business” was a voluptuous ballet dancer named “Christina”.

My head was spinning. I didn’t understand how all of this could have happened to me. I pulled out my phone and dialed a lawyer. 

I had considered this step many times but now I had finally thought it through and made up my mind: the only way forward was a divorce.