ly devoted fiancée. I cooked Ethan his favorite meals. I listened to Maria' s endless complaints about money. I let them

lly, wasn' t buyin

nd?" she hissed over the phone, her voice a low growl.

ered back. "I have a pla

ard fact that my entire relationship had been a lie. Molly, who tended

y said, the venom in her voice a

I said. "And I ne

n the living room, supposedly watching TV, but I knew they were list

ce filled with manufactured excitement. "

'Innovatech Solutions' is about to get acquired by a tech giant. The stock is go

grandmother left me millions, but the lawyer said I can' t touch the princip

ng room. I could feel

asked, playing h

let a little sob catch in my throat. "I have a hundred grand in cash I was saving up, my 'go-bag'

on the floor came from the oth

o the living room, dabbing at my e

m I'd never seen before. Maria was leaning forward on

asked, trying to sound casu

dismissive hand. "It's complicate

r voice suddenly slick with affection. "We'

n. Now it was tim