Chapter 2

Sarah stopped.

She stopped managing the household staff with her usual precision.

She stopped coordinating the children's complex schedules of school, tutors, and extracurriculars.

She stopped overseeing Ethan' s social calendar, the dinners, the charity events, the delicate dance of his public life.

She stopped ensuring his custom-tailored shirts were perfectly pressed and his favorite imported coffee was always stocked.

For the first few days, no one seemed to notice.

Ethan was busy with Innovatech and, increasingly, with Chloe. The children were caught up in their own small worlds, easily placated by gifts and distractions.

Then, the small cracks began to appear in the well-oiled machine of their lives.

Ethan was late for an important meeting because his driver hadn't been reminded of a last-minute change in schedule.

EJ missed his piano lesson. Lily' s favorite ballet shoes couldn' t be found.

Ethan' s expensive Swiss watch, the one Sarah always wound, stopped.

The household staff, accustomed to Sarah' s detailed daily instructions, seemed adrift. Meals weren't quite right. Errands were forgotten.

EJ, who had a gluten sensitivity Sarah meticulously managed, started complaining of stomach aches. The kitchen staff, without Sarah's specific guidance, had become careless.

Ethan finally confronted her. He found her reading in the sunroom, a place she rarely used before.

"Sarah, what is going on?" he demanded, his voice tight with irritation. He loomed over her, his shadow falling across her book. "The house is a mess. The kids are all over the place. Is this some kind of passive-aggressive tantrum because I' m spending time with Chloe?"

Sarah looked up at him, her expression calm. "I' m tired, Ethan."

It was the simple truth. Years of tireless effort, of anticipating every need, of smoothing every wrinkle in their lives.

She remembered the endless nights spent nursing sick children while he was on "urgent" business trips that often coincided with Chloe' s social media posts from exotic locations.

She remembered the meticulously planned birthday parties the children barely acknowledged, already looking for the next, bigger thrill.

She remembered the anniversaries he forgot, the apologies that never came.

All for nothing. No, worse than nothing. For neglect, for eventual abandonment.

Ethan scoffed. "Tired? Don' t be ridiculous. You have a full staff. What exactly do you do all day that' s so exhausting?" He sounded like he was scolding a petulant child.

Just then, EJ and Lily burst into the sunroom, their faces bright.

"Daddy! Can Aunt Chloe come over? Please?" EJ begged.

"Yeah, Daddy! Aunt Chloe lets us have ice cream for dinner!" Lily added, bouncing on her toes. "And she doesn' t make us do boring homework!"

Sarah watched Ethan' s expression soften as he looked at the children.

Then, she did something that shocked them all.

"If that' s what you and your father want," Sarah said, her voice even, "then fine. Ask her to come."

Ethan stared at her, his annoyance momentarily replaced by disbelief. The children, however, cheered.

"Really, Mommy?" Lily asked, wide-eyed.

Sarah nodded. "Really."

Ethan continued to stare, a frown creasing his forehead. He clearly expected a fight, tears, a scene. Her quiet acquiescence unnerved him.

He grumbled something under his breath and ushered the excited children out of the room, presumably to call Chloe.

Sarah closed her eyes, a small, sad smile on her lips.

Soon, she thought. Soon, she would be free.

The divorce papers were drafted. She just needed the right moment. The right catalyst.

And she had a feeling Chloe, in her eagerness to take over, would provide it.