Chapter 1

The woman Hector Gale was seeing showed up to stir up trouble again. "I really like Hector. Can't you just let me be with him?" He sat off to the side without saying a word, but my phone buzzed. "Just go along with it. It's only for show." So I did what he wanted. I quietly packed my things and moved out of the place we'd been living in together. As I walked out, I could hear his friends teasing me behind my back. "Wow, she's so obedient. Bet we could make her get an abortion and she'd still do it without a fuss." Hector raised an eyebrow, relaxed. "Want to make a bet? One week from now, she'll be at the hospital crying her eyes out, but still follow through with the procedure." I stayed silent and opened another message. "Will you marry me?" "Yes." ... "Really?" A wide-eyed, excited emoji popped up. I shoved my phone down, not planning to reply for now. The living room was alive with laughter and teasing. "If she actually goes through with the abortion, I'll let you drive my new car for three months." "That's it? I want a year." "Deal!" The voices suddenly got louder as everyone started cheering and hooting. Back in the bedroom, I packed in a daze, shoving anything I saw into my suitcase. It wasn't until my calf slammed into the corner of the table that I finally broke down crying. Hector had his eye on a woman seven years younger than him—Nellie Tates. He showered her with cars, bought her apartments, and whisked her off on trips around the world. Yet she wouldn't even let him hold her hand. She'd just cry, tears pouring down her face. "You already have a wife. We can't do something that would hurt her." That one sentence was enough to tear him apart. He immediately flew back and had me sign the divorce papers—just to calm her down. I'd fought him over it back then. I couldn't accept something so ridiculous. He wrapped an arm around me and soothed me. "It's just for show. In a few days, we'll get the papers back, okay?" However, it hadn't even been that long before Nellie showed up right in front of me. She cried as she collapsed into Hector's arms. "I really like Hector. Can't you just let me have him?" Even his friends told me to be gracious, not to get worked up over her. Hector sat there in silence, looking reluctant. In reality, he pulled out his phone and messaged me. "Just go along with it. It's only for show." I gave in again. Then my phone buzzed once more. "Are you serious? Don't lie to me." "Yes. I'm not lying." As soon as I finished packing, Hector took me to the hospital. He was in a great mood the whole drive, chatting about how we should celebrate my birthday this year. This was our fifth year together, and the fifth birthday we'd celebrated as a couple. "I saw a few islands that look amazing. Which one do you like, honey?" He leaned over and kissed my cheek. "You like Moraia, right? Let's go there." It wasn't until we got out of the car that he noticed the tear tracks under my eyes. He reached out to wipe them away, but I brushed his hand off without a word. It wasn't until we were inside the OB-GYN office, facing the doctor about the procedure, that he finally spoke, trying to comfort me. "Don't be upset, honey. Worst case, we can try again later. These things happen." The doctor looked like she'd seen it all before. After a few standard questions, she told me to wait for the procedure. Hector sat beside me while we waited. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him constantly messaging Nellie. "Be patient. Surgery takes time. Once she's done, I'll come right back, alright?" "You promised to let me kiss you today. Don't back out." Nellie kept throwing a fit. Seeing that I was going along quietly, Hector finally stood up, ready to leave. "Honey, I've got something to take care of. You go ahead with the procedure. I've already arranged a new place for you. Just take a cab there afterward." He hurried out, voice getting more anxious with every word, leaving before I could even respond. … Lying on the operating table, I felt a hollow emptiness, and a strange calm settled over me. The moment I stepped out of the operating room, a notification popped up on my phone. It was a plane ticket from Larkspire to Juville. "Wait for me," I wrote.