Chapter 3

Chloe spent the night alone in the hotel room.

The next morning, packed and ready, she wheeled her suitcase downstairs to meet her friend Emilia Murphy at the restaurant.

After they'd ordered breakfast, Chloe raised a hand without thinking to smooth her hair.

Emilia had sharp eyes. She spotted the hickey on the side of Chloe's neck at once.

"A souvenir from last night's date?" Emilia asked, eyebrows raised, teasing.

Chloe sipped her juice. "You could say that."

Emilia asked, "How was it?"

Chloe thought back and gave an honest review: "Pretty great, actually."

A meaningful smile spread across Emilia's face. "Sounds like he's got Austin beat."

Chloe didn't take the bait. The mere mention of Austin turned her expression cold. "I'm getting a divorce," she said instead.

Right on cue, the knife in her hand sliced clean through a sausage on her plate.

Emilia sucked in a breath. "That won't be easy, will it? What are you going to tell your family? What if they force you to marry—"

Chloe gave a careless little smile. "A second-time bride won't be worth much in their eyes."

That clicked for Emilia. Right—the elders in Chloe's family were old-fashioned. Otherwise they'd never have made such an absurd demand.

Back then, Chloe had married Austin because her family left her no choice.

Austin had pursued her relentlessly then. He came from money, he was tall and good-looking. Chloe chose him after weighing every factor.

From the outside, Chloe looked thoroughly tamed by Austin—gentle and obedient after marriage, revolving around him, the very picture of a perfect wife.

Only Emilia, her best friend since childhood, knew that Chloe's feelings for Austin had never run deep. Or rather, she'd never held high expectations for the male species, period.

"What about Austin's parents?" Emilia pressed. "They've always liked you. They won't agree easily."

"Which is why I need evidence." Chloe set down her knife and fork and looked at Emilia evenly. "I need solid dirt on him to guarantee a win in court."

Emilia's face grew serious.

"Find me a reliable private investigator," Chloe said.

"Done. I happen to know a guy who runs a detective agency in Manhattan. I'll give him a heads-up and send you his contact info." Emilia picked up her phone and fired off a few messages.

Setting the phone down, Emilia narrowed her eyes at Chloe, probing. "You've actually... wanted this for a long time, haven't you? You were just missing the right moment?"

Chloe smiled faintly and didn't deny it.

Emilia sighed. "After all these years, I figured you'd developed at least some feelings for him."

"Feelings?" Chloe swirled the juice in her glass. "If feelings mean tolerating his betrayals over and over, I'd rather do without."

Emilia was at a loss for words.

"He's the one who broke the marriage contract first," Chloe said, still calm.

To be fair, Chloe's performance in this marriage had been beyond reproach.

The admiration, the companionship, the emotional labor Austin wanted—she gave it all.

He liked the sweet, docile type, so she played the devoted wife for him. He cared about face, so at gatherings with his friends she always gazed at him with adoring eyes—and took no small amount of teasing from his buddies for it.

As for their sex life, she'd never phoned that in either.

Men, though, are wired to crave the new and tire of the old. No matter how well she did, Austin still cheated.

Chloe remembered what she'd walked in on the day she came home early, and gave a short, bitter laugh.

She'd come back early from that business trip meaning to surprise Austin.

The next day was Austin's birthday. He'd long since booked a restaurant to celebrate with friends, but Chloe had wanted to celebrate with him alone, and she'd even prepared a gift.

Instead, the moment she walked in, she found a woman's dress and stockings strewn across the living room, and on her way upstairs she heard the sounds coming from the bedroom.

A marriage like that really had nothing left worth saving.

A little past five that evening, Chloe arrived home.

She'd barely wheeled her suitcase through the door when Austin, who'd been waiting, swept her into his arms.

Austin wrapped her in his arms like always and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Baby, you're finally back. I missed you like crazy."

"Why are you home so early today?" Chloe's voice sounded no different from usual.

"Took a few hours off this afternoon and picked up black truffle risotto and grilled octopus from that Italian place you love." Austin stroked her cheek, all affection. "Isn't your hubby good to you?"

"Mm." Chloe nodded.

"That's it?" Austin leaned closer, his breath at her ear. "So, did you miss me?"

"I did. Every single day." Chloe knew exactly what he wanted to hear, so she softened her voice with just the right touch of neediness. "Honey, I'm a little hungry. Can we eat first?"

Chloe and Austin had been seated at the table less than ten minutes when his phone rang.

He didn't step away; he answered in front of her.

"Scott?"

Hearing that name come out of Austin's mouth, Chloe's hand stilled slightly on her fork, her attention sharpening.

On the other end, Scott seemed to be asking Austin out for the evening.

Austin declined. "Chloe just got back today. I need to spend the evening with her. You guys have fun."

Then Chloe faintly heard laughter through the receiver, laced with a teasing jab. "Your wife really can't live without you, huh."