Chapter 3
Nathan didn’t come back that night.
At 4 a.m., my phone buzzed with a notification.
I opened my social media feed and saw a brand–new post from Valerie Scott.
In the photo, she was lounging on a chair out on the hotel balcony,
her knee.
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champagne flute in hand and gauze wrapped dramatically around
Nathan stood behind her, leaning down close to her shoulder, grinning like a man on vacation–not one on the verge of a divorce.
“So lucky to have you by my side in a foreign land,‘ “the caption read.
I closed the app and immediately booked the earliest flight back to Riverglen.
As I was boarding, a message came through from an unfamiliar number-
-a video.
In it, a man and woman were tangled together in bed, kissing like they didn’t care who saw.
Their faces were blurred, but I recognized him in an instant.
I clenched my jaw and powered off my phone without watching the rest.
When the plane landed, I turned my phone back on. It blew up immediately with missed calls and messages- dozens of them, all from
Nathan.
I was about to shut it off again when another call came through.
“Anna!” His voice was sharp, laced with anger. “Where the hell are you? Why did you just leave and fly home?”
“Leave?” I said evenly. “I thought I made myself pretty damn clear.”
“You left just because I went to help Valerie last night?”
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His voice suddenly rose, accusing. “Do you know how w
in that hotel?”
I laughed, bitter and cold. “You looked fine in that photo. Smiling behind her like you were filming a rom–com.”
Silence crackled on the other end, followed by a guilty, hesitant question.
“She… she posted that?”
“Great composition,” I replied icily. “Flattering angle. Romantic lighting.”
“Do you have to be so sarcastic all the time?”
“Valerie fell last night. I was just helping clean up her knee. What was I supposed to do, let her bleed alone?” “She’s my employee, and my friend. I have a responsibility to care for her.”
I’d had enough.
“Nathan,” I snapped, “stop insulting my intelligence.”
“You’re unbelievable!” he shouted. “There’s nothing going on between us! You’re just jealous and paranoid!”
“Keep telling yourself that,” I said, voice like ice, “You’ll find the divorce agreement in your inbox soon.” “Anna—wait!” There was panic now, finally, in his tone. “You’re really going to throw away our marriage over some petty misunderstanding?”
“Petty–only to you.”
“But to me?” I paused. “This is my line. And you crossed it.”
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His breathing quickened over the line. He wanted to say more—I could feel it.
But I didn’t give him the chance.
I ended the call.
The next day, Nathan went on a posting spree like a child throwing a tantrum online.
One photo showed him and Valerie dining at some fancy restaurant. Another showed a wrapped gift on his desk.
The captions? All vague and flirtatious.
Thanks for the surprise. Made all the long nights worth it.”
I scrolled with a blank face, then sent over the finalized divorce papers. All assets neatly divided.
He called again, voice sharp with rage.
“Anna, what the hell is this supposed to mean?”
“You really think I can’t live without you?”
“Don’t you dare regret this!”
I hung up and blocked his number.
A week later, on a night soaked in rain, I was at my best friend’s house for a quiet gathering when another video message came in- from an unknown number again.
In the video, Valerie was in my silk robe, swirling a glass of red wine.
Behind her was a massive canvas print of my wedding portrait with Nathan.
She looked up at it, a smirk tugging at her lips–mocking, victorious.
On the bed were Nathan’s boxers–the ones I’d picked out for him—and the sheets were in absolute disarray.
Something ignited deep in my chest. A slow, roaring fire.
We hadn’t even finalized the divorce, and she’d already moved into my home like she owned the place.
She was playing the host of the house–my house.
Absolutely shameless.
Chapter 3
