Chapter 3

That weekend, I finalized the divorce papers with Evelyn. The infidelity clause, surprisingly, was ironclad. Evelyn had done her job. Now, it was my turn.

I placed the documents on Brennan's study desk. When he walked in, he stared at them, confused. "What's this, Allison? More of your dramatics?"

I pushed a pen across the polished wood. "Sign it, Brennan. It's over."

My voice was devoid of emotion. "You're free. Free to pursue whatever twisted fantasy you and Cheri have concocted."

He frowned, a flicker of something I couldn't quite decipher in his eyes. "So generous, Allison. What's the catch? You usually don't give up so easily." He reached out, his hand hovering over mine, feigning concern.

I flinched back, pulling my hand away as if his touch burned. The contact was repulsive.

Just then, the doorbell chimed. Bird, whose room was closest to the front entrance, shrieked with delight. "Cheri's here!"

I froze. Cheri? Here? My carefully constructed facade threatened to crack.

She walked in, wearing the exact same limited-edition silk scarf Brennan had given me for our anniversary just last year. Except hers was a vibrant fuchsia, while mine was a muted sapphire blue. It was a direct, blatant statement.

"Oh, I hope I'm not interrupting anything important," Cheri cooed, her eyes darting between Brennan and the papers on his desk. Her tone was innocent, but her gaze was anything but.

I watched, my jaw tight. Brennan avoided my gaze, shifting uncomfortably.

He cleared his throat. "Cheri's here to take Bird for his riding lesson. Colton is joining too. He needs a friend, Allison. You know how important that is for a child."

A friend? Brennan, the man who once insisted Bird only play with children from 'appropriate' families, was now using Cheri's son as an excuse for her constant presence. His hypocrisy was astounding.

Brennan casually pushed the divorce papers aside, a stack of overdue bills now covering them. He minimized their importance, just as he minimized my feelings.

"We can talk about this later, Allison," he said, dismissing me with a wave of his hand. "Now, if you'll excuse us, Bird is waiting."

I found myself at the stables an hour later, drawn by a desperate, maternal pull. Bird had insisted I come, a rare request I couldn't refuse, even if it meant seeing them.

But what I saw shattered any lingering hope. Brennan, Cheri, and their two sons, laughing, riding together. They looked like a perfect, happy family. A family I was not a part of.

My lawyer's words echoed in my mind: 'We need to leverage this, Allison. Make him pay.' But what I wanted was dignity, not vengeance, not anymore.

I still remembered the day we married. The vows he'd made, the promises of forever. They felt like a cruel joke now.

I stood hidden behind a row of stalls, watching the fake family, when I heard it. Brennan's low voice, speaking to Mr. Davies, the stable owner.

Mr. Davies looked uncomfortable. "But Mr. William, Colton isn't exactly... the caliber of child we usually have for Bird. And his riding skills are quite... aggressive."

Brennan chuckled, a chilling sound. "Don't worry about it, Davies. Colton will be part of the family soon enough. Bird needs a brother. And with Allison out of the picture, Cheri will be a wonderful stepmother."

A choked, bitter laugh escaped my lips. It was almost a sob. 'Part of the family soon enough?' So that was his long game. Not just an affair, but a calculated replacement.

Brennan's head whipped around, his eyes narrowing as he spotted me. The air instantly crackled with unspoken tension.

Mr. Davies, sensing the shift, mumbled an excuse about needing to check on a horse and quickly vanished.

"How long have you been eavesdropping, Allison?" Brennan's voice was sharp, accusatory.

My laughter was dry, devoid of humor. "Long enough to know you prefer to conduct your affairs in plain sight, Brennan. Or perhaps, you just assume I'm too stupid to notice."

He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture. "It's not what you think. Colton's a good kid. I was just... thinking aloud about how to integrate him into Bird's life. Like a godson, you know."

A godson. The word tasted like poison. My heart, already bruised and battered, finally calcified. "I want a divorce, Brennan. Now. No more delays. No more games."

He stepped closer, his eyes pleading, manipulative. "No, Allison. We can fix this. You're upset. Don't throw everything away."

Just then, Bird screamed, "Colton, watch out!"

I turned just as an arrow whizzed past my face, narrowly missing my eye, the fletching brushing my cheek. A sharp, stinging pain erupted.

Bird, oblivious to my near injury, ran to Cheri' s son, wrapping his arms around him. "Colton, are you okay? That was close! You almost hit Mom!"

Colton, a smug smirk on his face, calmly picked up his bow. His eyes met mine, a flicker of malevolence in their depths. He had aimed for me. Deliberately.

My hand flew to my phone. "I'm calling the police," I said, my voice shaking with a rage I hadn't known I possessed.

Brennan snatched the phone from my hand. "Don't be ridiculous, Allison! It was an accident! He's just a child!"

Bird piped up, "Yeah, Mom! You're always so dramatic! Say sorry to Colton for making him upset!"

He looked at me, his eyes wide and accusing. "If you hurt Cheri or Colton, I'll never forgive you, Mom. Never!"

I stared at my son, then at Brennan, whose face was a mask of cold fury. A hollow laugh escaped me. "Fine. Call your lawyers, Brennan. You won't stop me."

He grabbed my arm, his grip bruising. "You really want to go down this path, Allison? You know what my legal team can do. They' ll bury you." It was a promise, and a threat.