Chapter 2

The next morning, the air in the apartment was thick with unspoken words. David had come home late, long after she' d fallen into a restless sleep on the sofa. He moved around the stripped-down space with an efficiency that felt cold, checking lists, directing the movers who had just arrived. He was a stranger organizing the dismantling of their life.

"Make sure the art crate goes on last," he told one of the workers, his voice crisp and authoritative.

He never spoke to Sarah directly. He was a whirlwind of controlled activity, and she was a stationary object in his path. She tried to help, to feel useful, but he had already taken care of everything. It was his project, and she was merely an occupant.

While he was outside supervising the loading of the truck, his laptop lay open on the kitchen counter, the only surface not covered in dust sheets. A notification popped up on the screen. It was an email from Lisa Chang. The subject line was just one word: "Congratulations."

Sarah' s heart hammered against her ribs. She knew she shouldn' t look. It was a violation of privacy, a line she had never crossed. But a stronger, more desperate instinct took over. Her hand trembled as she moved the mouse, clicking the email open.

The message was short.

"Heard she signed everything. You' re finally free. Can' t wait to start our life together. The baby and I are so proud of you."

The baby.

The two words hit her with the force of a physical blow. She stumbled back, her hand flying to her mouth. The room tilted. The baby. Lisa was pregnant.

A cold certainty washed over her, chilling her to the bone. The business documents. The urgency. The late-night phone calls. It all clicked into place, forming a picture of a betrayal so calculated, so profound, it stole the air from her lungs.

She thought of the move, the new job she' d been so excited about. It wasn' t a fresh start for them. It was a disposal plan for her. Get her out of the country, out of the way, while he started a new family with Lisa.

She walked numbly into the bedroom. Her suitcase was open on the floor, half-packed. On top of a pile of clothes was a small, velvet box. She opened it. Inside was a simple silver locket he had given her on their first anniversary. It felt like a relic from another life, a lie she had worn around her neck.

She wanted to scream, to throw the locket against the wall, to run out and confront him in front of the movers. But she was frozen, paralyzed by the sheer scale of his deceit.

She closed the suitcase, zipped it up, and placed it by the door. She found her purse and her keys. She walked back into the living room, where David was now directing the last of the boxes out. He was so absorbed, he didn't even notice her.

She was erasing herself. That' s what this was. She was packing herself up, labeling the box, and shipping herself out of his life.

That evening was supposed to be a farewell dinner with his family. The thought of it made her feel sick. To sit at a table with his parents, his sister, and pretend that everything was fine, that they were a happy couple embarking on a new adventure.

She had to go. She had to see it through, to understand how deep the rot went.

The restaurant was one of his family' s favorites, an upscale place with hushed tones and heavy silverware. David' s mother, Eleanor, greeted her with a kiss on the cheek that felt as cold as a marble statue.

"Sarah, dear. You must be exhausted with the move. But so exciting!"

Lisa was there. Of course she was. She was seated next to David, a picture of quiet elegance. She gave Sarah a small, knowing smile. A victor' s smile.

Throughout the dinner, the conversation flowed around Sarah. They talked about David' s latest architectural award, about his family' s upcoming vacation, about Lisa' s groundbreaking research. Sarah was an afterthought, a silent witness to their cozy, impenetrable circle.

Eleanor raised her glass. "A toast. To David, for all his success. And to new beginnings." She looked pointedly at David, and then at Lisa, her eyes full of warmth.

Sarah felt a wave of dizziness. She excused herself, needing to escape the suffocating atmosphere. She walked down the hall toward the restrooms, her mind racing. She had to get out of there.

As she passed a small, private alcove, she heard voices. David' s and Lisa' s.

"Is she suspicious?" Lisa asked, her voice low and clinical.

"No," David replied. "She has no idea. She signed the papers without a second thought. By the time the divorce is finalized, she' ll be on the other side of the world."

"And the house?"

"The lawyer said it' s all clean. The assets are protected. We' re set, Lisa. Just like we planned."

"Good," Lisa said. There was a pause. "I felt the baby kick today."

Sarah leaned against the wall, her legs weak. She had heard it with her own ears. The plan. The clean break. The baby. It was all real. The life she thought she had was an illusion, a carefully constructed stage, and she was the only one who didn't know the play was over.