n Moo

t the kitchen island. He grunted a thank you without looking up from his phone. I felt less like a wife and more like a short-order c

nly for collaborating with other musicians, not for his "serious solo work." That, apparen

y that surprised even me. I answered the most urgent emails, rescheduled

iveway if he decided to come back for some reason. The driver dropped me at the end of the block, a

was going to

take off my shoes. I went straight for the door to the garage, my purse still slung over

brushed against co

yesterday was gone. In its place was a sleek, silver electronic

pad, a fortress gate on a simple interior door. My breath hitched.

a shaky step back, I pulled out my phone and took a clear, high-resolution picture of

ont door slammed

y throat. Adam stood there, his chest he

are you doing ho

," I stammered, my mind

e? Really? Because your office said you had a dental emergency. And my Find My

alization was a physical blow,

and clamped around my upper arm, his fingers digging into my flesh lik

ing me!" I cried, tryin

oice dangerously low, his face inches from

The sudden movement threw him off balance, and he stumbled ba

rembling with pain and rage. "I can be wh

you can' t," he his

he lock?" I demanded, rubbing my throbbing ar

ime was right," he said, dismissing

heart hammering against my ribs. In that moment, I was genuinely afraid of him. H

s he reached for me agai

e," I said, my voice shaking but firm. I held up my p

slid down my cheek. This was it. The line had been crossed. T

s eyes, wide and stark. He visibly deflated, the aggression dr

ce, holding his hands up in a gesture of

"You tracked me, you assaulted me, and you' r

ou call them... we' re done. Is that what you want? To throw our marriage away?" He

y parents, of their quiet disappointment. I thought of my grandmother' s legacy, the

rce, he' d be entitled to half of its value. Ha

this house. Your grandmother' s house," he said, his voice laced with venom. "Or... you let this go. You

my own family pride, as a cage. A wave of helpless fury washe

eye and said, "Fine." The word

ologize for sneaking around behind my

a stinging pain in my palm and looked down to see my own nails had dug crescent-shaped wounds into m

walked away, the echo of his smug

ook one look at me and frowned. "Rough trip to the dentist?" she asked, her eye

sleeve down. "Som

her cynical data-analyst brain missing no detail. "T

mile. "Newlywed

of couples, the signup sheet for the annual corporate retreat is going around. Two n

ion hit me. "Oh. Right

hen he dropped you off. He told Mark from accounting that there was 'n

ncy to tell me himself, was just another small cut

as back in his element, the charismatic artist, all smiles and

ulti-car pile-up on the interstate last week, a tragedy that had killed a young family.

oaching his side. "Hayden men

ing. His eyes were flat, devoid o

It looks bad if we don' t show up

ffice. "I said I' m not fucking going! Are y

with a spectacular, all-consuming humiliation. I felt naked, exposed, a hundred invisible nee

any shred of the man I thought I married, evaporated. It wasn't chippe

sn' t married to a struggling ar

of coffee I had no intention of drinking. She didn' t say anythi

rity systems. He owes me a favor. He can tell you what ki

her face, my eyes welling wi

ou," I w

"Whatever is going on, Ali,

by his desk, pretending to be on a call, but his eyes were fixed on me, narro

e had c