Chapter 2

Mark stared at her, his charming smile faltering. "A divorce? Ava, what's gotten into you?"

Then, his expression shifted. He looked almost... relieved? No, calculating.

"Actually, honey, I was going to talk to you about something similar."

He sat down, leaning forward conspiratorially.

"Chloe's been having a rough time. Her brand launch... there are these online trolls, really vicious stuff. They're saying she's a homewrecker, that I'm neglecting my family for her."

Ava listened, a cold knot forming in her stomach. The absurdity of it.

"So," Mark continued, "I was thinking... what if we had a temporary separation? A quick, quiet divorce. Just on paper."

He rushed on, "It would take the heat off Chloe. Show everyone I'm unattached. The trolls would back off. Then, once her brand is stable, we can, you know, get back together. It's just for show, Ava. To protect Chloe's career."

Ava looked at him. In her past life, the one that ended in horror, she might have cried, pleaded.

Now, she felt a cold, hard resolve. He was offering her an out, gift-wrapped in his own selfishness.

"Okay, Mark," she said.

He blinked, surprised. "Okay? Just like that?"

"Yes. But I want a legally binding separation agreement. Fair division of assets. My stake in the house, and in your architectural firm. I helped fund that, remember?"

His surprise turned to suspicion. "Why are you being like this? So... petty? I thought you'd understand. It's just temporary."

"It's not petty, Mark. It's smart. If we're divorcing, even 'for show,' it needs to be done right."

Her calm unnerved him. This wasn't the Ava he knew.

Mark, eager to get Chloe out of her "trouble," pushed.

"Alright, alright, a proper agreement. My lawyer can draw something up quickly. We can sign it tomorrow."

He even managed a semblance of an apology. "I'm sorry it has to be like this, Ava. But it's for the best, you'll see. Chloe really needs this."

He truly believed his own lies. That this was a noble sacrifice he was making.

Ava watched him, the man she once loved, now a stranger mouthing empty platitudes.

"Mark," Ava said, her voice soft, a final test. "Do you have any idea what this does to a family? To Leo?"

She searched his face for a flicker of genuine concern, a hint of the man she married.

There was nothing. Only impatience.

She realized with a pang that any love she'd felt for him had died. It died with Leo in that other timeline, and it stayed dead now.

Mark waved a dismissive hand. "Don't be dramatic, Ava. It's a fake divorce. Leo doesn't even need to know the details. We'll still be a family. We'll get back together once this blows over. It's just a piece of paper."

His callousness was breathtaking. He truly didn't see the emotional devastation he was causing.

The repetition of "fake divorce" and "reunion" was like a mantra he used to convince himself.

The next day, they were in his lawyer's office.

Ava read the agreement carefully. It was surprisingly fair, likely because Mark wanted this done quickly and without fuss from her.

She picked up the pen. Her hand was steady.

She signed her name. A definitive step.

Mark let out a small, almost triumphant sigh. "Good. That's settled then."

He couldn't hide his relief.

"What about Leo?" Ava asked, as they walked out. "He has that robotics camp trial class this afternoon. You promised you'd take him."

Mark looked flustered. "Oh, right. Uh, something came up with Chloe. Her niece, apparently, just moved to town and is really into robotics. Chloe asked if her niece could take Leo's trial spot. It's a huge favor to her sister, single mom, you know."

Ava stopped dead. "You gave Leo's spot away? To Chloe's niece?"

"It's just a trial class, Ava. He can go another time. Chloe's family is going through a lot."

Shock. Anger. Profound disappointment. He was already prioritizing Chloe's extended family over his own son.

Ava felt a complete emotional detachment.

This man, her husband, was a stranger. His actions were not just flawed; they were despicable.

There was no "them" anymore. There was only her and Leo.

And she would protect Leo.

The trip to the courthouse was a blur of bitterness and irony.

They stood before a judge, mumbled the required responses.

It was so quick, so impersonal. So different from their wedding day, which had been full of hope and laughter.

Mark was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet, eager to be done.

The moment the judge declared them divorced, Mark's phone buzzed.

He glanced at it, a wide smile spreading across his face.

"Gotta go," he said, already turning away. "Chloe needs me to help her pick out launch party venues. This is great, Ava. Perfect timing."

He didn't even look back.

Ava stood there, alone, the divorce papers in her hand.

A bitter amusement touched her lips. Perfect timing indeed. For him.

She remembered their early days. The passion, the dreams they shared.

When had it all gone so wrong?

It started subtly. His increasing absorption in his work, or so she thought.

Then Chloe re-entered his life, an old college acquaintance, her father having given Mark his first big break.

Mark felt indebted. Chloe exploited that.

The "friendship" grew. The late nights, the hushed phone calls.

Ava had been blind, trusting.

No more. There was no turning back. This second chance was a gift, and she wouldn't waste it.

Ava walked to a pawn shop.

She took off the diamond engagement ring Mark had given her. It had once symbolized their love.

Now, it felt like a shackle.

"How much for this?" she asked the pawnbroker.

He named a price. She took it without haggling.

The irony wasn't lost on her. The ring he used to promise forever was now funding her escape from him.

Back at the house – *her* house now, according to the agreement, until it was sold and proceeds split – she started packing.

Not just her clothes, but Leo's too.

She needed to get them away from Mark's toxic influence, away from Chloe's encroaching presence.

A fresh start. Somewhere quiet.

"Mommy?" Leo came into her room, his lower lip trembling.

He held up his tablet, his favorite robotics game on the screen.

"The camp people emailed. They said my spot for the summer program... it's gone. Daddy gave it to someone named Lily. Chloe's niece."

His eyes filled with tears. "But I wanted to go so bad."

Frustration. Concern. This was just the beginning of Mark's betrayals, even in this new timeline.