Chapter2

Claire's POV

The picture showed a perfectly plated steak at some restaurant with white tablecloths.

No faces. But in the top right corner, I caught the edge of a hand. And a ring.

The wedding band Ethan and I had picked out together.

He'd always worn it on his left pinky, never on the finger it was made for.

That way, nobody would ever guess he was married.

Funny, when you think about it.

The one thing that was supposed to say he belonged to someone had become proof that he didn't.

On our son's sixth birthday, he was having a candlelit dinner with another woman.

All the hurt I'd been carrying went quiet. Flat. Calm.

I tapped the heart under her post and set my phone face down.

Then I turned back and settled the paper crown on Owen's head.

"Happy birthday, baby."

In the glow of the candles, he squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his palms together.

"I wish I can always be with Mom."

I picked my phone back up and took the picture.

In that moment, the idea of leaving stopped being an idea. It became the only thing I was sure of.

"Deal. I promise. You'll always have me."

Neither of us said Ethan's name the rest of the night.

It was like the house had only ever belonged to the two of us.

Once Owen was asleep, I opened my desk drawer and took out the settlement agreement my lawyer had drawn up.

The last bit of doubt I had disappeared.

Ethan walked in at two in the morning.

He saw the untouched cake on the table, and something like guilt passed over his face.

"Sorry. It slipped my mind."

I almost laughed. Had he not seen a single one of my texts?

Or was whatever he had going on so good that nothing else even registered?

I flipped the agreement open to the signature page and held it out. I made my voice as steady as I could.

"I need you to sign—"

His phone rang before I could finish.

Sienna's voice came through, breathy and scared. "Mr. Ashford? I think my power's out. Could you come over? I don't like being alone in the dark."

Ethan was on his feet in a second, worry written all over him. "Stay put. I'm on my way."

He hung up, grabbed my pen, and signed without reading a single line.

I took a step back and watched him walk out the door.

Remember this, Ethan.

You were the one who walked away from this family.

The next morning, I went in to finish my handover.

Ethan stopped by my desk with a box wrapped in shiny blue paper.

"For Owen. I meant to give it to him last night."

I was surprised enough that I took it and opened it.

Inside was a stuffed puppy.

Owen was terrified of dogs.

A year ago, Ethan had taken him to the county fair.

Halfway through, Ethan let go of his hand to answer a text from Sienna.

When he looked up, Owen was gone, swallowed by the crowd.

We found him almost an hour later, curled up against a fence by the parking lot, shaking, while a stray dog barked at him from a few feet away.

He'd been scared of dogs ever since.

And now the man who'd let go of his hand was handing him a puppy.

I honestly couldn't tell what I felt more, anger or disappointment.

I set the box to one side. "Thanks."

Ethan gave me a strange look, like he'd expected more. Then something seemed to occur to him.

"Sienna's apartment still doesn't have power. I told her she could crash at our place for a few days."

"Take the day off. Pack a bag and take Owen somewhere for a little while."

He said it so casually. It landed like a punch.

I stared at him. "So you're kicking your son and me out of our own house. For her."

He frowned. "Don't make it sound like that. It's temporary."

"We agreed to keep this quiet. If she sees you two there, people will talk."

I laughed. I couldn't help it.

Was she really just a coworker?

Was he really just trying to keep people from talking?

Or were Owen and I simply in the way of whatever he had with her? Something to tuck out of sight?

I didn't want to look at him anymore. I turned back to my screen and kept typing.

"Got it."

"I'll pack fast and get Owen out of your way. We won't be a problem."

We were leaving anyway. A day early didn't make much difference.

He seemed thrown by how easily I agreed.

His voice went softer. "I'll make it up to you both."

I didn't look up. I didn't answer.

Some damage doesn't come with a refund.

At home, I packed everything Owen and I needed and headed for the door.

When I opened it, Ethan was coming up the walk with Sienna.

He was wheeling her suitcase for her. He looked every bit the devoted boyfriend.

Our eyes met, and for half a second, I saw something like panic in his.