Chapter 4

His eyes, which had been locked with mine as he knelt to my level, suddenly darted around the room, avoiding my gaze. He stood up so quickly that he didn’t even notice when he bumped into the corner of the table.

I had never heard him speak to me in such a gentle, soothing voice before.

"Okay, okay, don’t move, Grace. I’ll be right there!"

He grabbed his keys from the table and shot me a quick, apologetic look. "Tess, you’ll be fine, right? Grace has twisted her ankle, and she’s out there alone. I need to take her to the hospital."

"I’ll be back in no time!" he repeated, almost like he was trying to convince himself.

He even bent down to kiss the top of my head, like he used to when we were close. The once familiar gesture disgusted me. He was rotten to the core, and I couldn’t stand it anymore.

I don't know where I found the strength, but I shouted after him, "If you walk out that door, we’re done, for good."

He paused, just for a second before he hurried out the door.

I already knew it would come to the. I had known it for a while but couldn’t help asking, hoping for a different answer. As I lay there on the cold, marble floor, the chill pressed into my stomach, mocking me for my naivety.

Sweat drenched my body despite the icy floor beneath me. My arms felt like they were weighed down with lead, too heavy to lift. The pain, far from subsiding, was growing more intense with every passing second. My eyes flicked to the clock on the wall as the hands slowly ticked forward, but there was no sign of him returning.

The wound burned even though it was the middle of winter. I was sweating from the pain, my body betraying me. Desperate, I reached for my phone, but as soon as I unlocked it, a notification popped up, showing me a new post from Grace.

[Stargazing with the Big Guy,] it read, with a picture of them both camping on a mountainside.

I let out a bitter laugh. The algorithm sure knew exactly how to twist the knife when I was at my lowest.

I scrolled through her posts, my fingers trembling. She was a small-time influencer, documenting her everyday life with her “Big Guy.”

Little did I know, they had been traveling across the country together, visiting almost every corner. All those times Eric claimed he was away on business trips, he had been on vacations with her.

Where was I? At home, taking care of his sick mother, consoling his heartbroken sister, and playing the perfect wife while my marriage was falling apart behind my back.

What a fool I was. I thought my marriage was still intact, but it had been broken beyond repair for a long time.

I couldn’t tell if the pain in my chest was worse than the physical pain, but oddly, after a while, the sharpness of my wound seemed to dull.

For the next few days, I stayed in the house, waiting for him to return, but he never did. He didn’t even remember the promises he made. It was just like how he had forgotten all the promises he made back when we first got married. I didn’t have to worry about work since it was winter break, so there was no need to request leave.

When I finally got the divorce papers ready, I left. The house, which I had lovingly built from the ground up, was no longer my home, and packing was harder than I expected. Every brick and piece of furniture had been chosen by me. In the end, I decided to travel light. I packed only the essentials—a few seasonal clothes—and headed to Riverdale.

As soon as my flight landed, I received a message from Eric.

"Where are you? Don’t tell me you’re pulling a runaway-girl stunt."

I scowled at the screen, then blocked him.

Riverdale was a warm city, even in the depths of winter. The chill didn’t bite the same way it did back home. Chris was already waiting for me at the airport.

Years had passed, but he still looked the same, like the kind, gentle boy I remembered. His sharp features were softened by the gold-rimmed glasses he wore, giving him a scholarly air.

We had lost touch over the years, mostly because Eric didn’t like me keeping in contact with other guys. Chris, always respectful, had backed off, only sending polite greetings during holidays.

Seeing him again after so long, the joy was undeniable. He pulled me into a tight hug the moment he saw me.