Chapter 2

I pushed open the door to our apartment. It was a mess. Dirty clothes were thrown on the couch, empty take-out containers littered the coffee table.

Liam's jacket and expensive shoes were tossed carelessly on the floor, right in the middle of the entryway, a deliberate provocation of my need for order.

He came out of the bedroom, reeking of a cloyingly sweet, expensive perfume I didn't own.

"Where the hell have you been for a week, Ava?" he scolded, not even looking at me properly. "I've been worried sick."

He didn't look worried. He looked annoyed.

He walked past me, and I saw a smudge of bright red lipstick on his collar.

He noticed me looking and scoffed. "It was a crowded elevator, okay? Some woman probably brushed against me."

I didn't say anything. I just walked to our bedroom and pulled out my suitcase. I started packing.

The silence made him uneasy. He followed me, his tone shifting.

"Look, I'm sorry I left you," he said, leaning against the doorframe. It wasn't an apology. It was an excuse. "But Chloe and I were the only ones who saw you... you know, lose control. It would have been humiliating for me if people saw my fiancée pissing herself in public."

He thought I'd wet myself from fear. The thought was so absurd, so monstrous, that I couldn't even feel anger. Just a cold, vast emptiness.

He was still talking, trying to "comfort" me. "It's better this way. We protected your dignity."

As he spoke, his phone buzzed. A custom ringtone. It was Chloe's voice, giggling, "Boss, you have a call!"

He shot me a nervous glance and took the call in the bathroom, his voice low but his laughter echoing through the door.

I pulled out my own phone. A new notification from Instagram.

It was a post from Chloe. A picture of her, sitting in Liam's chair in his office, legs crossed on his desk.

The caption read: "I just love making the boss smile. Wonder what he'd do if I ever left?"

Liam had already liked it. And replied.

"Don't you dare! He'd have to track you down and handcuff you to your desk!"

I calmly put my phone down, picked it up again, and dialed the number for our wedding venue.

"Hello, I'm calling to cancel the reservation for the O'Malley-Thompson wedding."

I finished packing my suitcase.

Liam came out of the bathroom, still smiling from his call. The smile vanished when he saw my packed bag.

"What are you doing? Where are you going?"

"Business trip," I said, my voice even.

He panicked. He tried to block my way, to grab my arm. "No, wait, Ava, don't be like this. I'll clean up, okay? Look, I'll clean everything right now."

He started frantically picking up the clothes and trash, a desperate attempt to appease me.

"Please, just stay. I'm sorry."

I looked at my phone. A city-wide architectural convention was in town. Every hotel was booked solid.

"Fine," I said. "One more night."