Chapter 3

The drive to Napa was long. The California sun beat down on the highway.

Our vineyard estate. It was supposed to be our sanctuary, a place we' d grow old. Another broken dream.

I hadn' t been there in over a year. The last time was for an awkward anniversary dinner, the air thick with unspoken accusations and Chloe' s name hanging between us.

I parked in the long driveway, gravel crunching under the tires.

The house looked the same. Beautiful, imposing, empty.

Or so I thought.

As I walked towards the front door, it opened.

Chloe Vance stood there, wearing one of my silk robes. My favorite one, the blue one Ethan had bought me in Italy, years ago, before.

She smirked. "Sarah. What a surprise."

Her tone was proprietary, condescending.

"What are you doing here, Chloe?"

"Living here, darling. Ethan thought I needed a quiet place to rest." She patted her slightly rounded stomach. "The pregnancy has been a bit difficult."

Pregnancy.

The word hit me, but the expected pain was dull, distant. Just another fact.

"Ethan gave you this house?" I asked, my voice even.

"Of course. He' s so generous. And he wants the best for his child." She smiled, a triumphant, predatory expression. "Our child."

I walked past her, into the house. My house. Or what used to be.

Her things were scattered around. Her garish taste clashing with the elegant décor I' d chosen.

"I' m here for my personal belongings," I said, heading towards the master suite.

"Oh, Ethan moved most of your old things into storage. Made space for me."

She followed me, her presence an irritation, like a buzzing fly.

I ignored her, found a few boxes in a spare room. My mother' s jewelry, some old letters, a few cherished books. Things that mattered only to me.

I pulled out my phone, dialed Ethan.

He answered on the third ring, his voice impatient. "What is it, Sarah? I' m in a meeting."

"Chloe is here, at the vineyard."

A pause. "Oh. Right. I meant to tell you. She wasn' t feeling well."

"She says you gave her the house. She says she' s pregnant with your child."

Another pause, longer this time.

"Look, Sarah, it' s complicated."

"Is it true, Ethan?"

"Yes," he said, his voice flat. "It' s true."

No apology. No explanation. Just a bald statement.

"I see," I said. My voice sounded far away, even to my own ears.

"Don' t make a scene, Sarah. I' ll buy you something nice when I get back. That new jeweler you liked? We can go pick something out."

Buy me something nice. Like a new collar for a pet.

I laughed. A dry, humorless sound.

"You do that, Ethan."

I hung up.

Chloe was watching me, a smug look on her face. "He always chooses me, you know."

"He can have you," I said, picking up my small box of belongings.

I walked out of the house, out of her sight, out of that life.

Seven days left.