Chapter 2

For Grandpa's sake, I had no choice but to hold the press conference he demanded.

"Mr. Hayes was not unfaithful. He and I have been separated for quite some time."

Seeing how cooperative I was, Ethan softened.

He stood in the shadows, Zoe already safely tucked away somewhere.

He made me a promise.

"Just this once. I swear. This whole thing happened so fast, I just —"

I looked at him, my voice catching in my throat.

"How could you do this to me?"

Ethan froze for a moment, then rushed to explain.

"Don't be scared. That man didn't actually touch you. It was just photos."

I dug my nails hard into my palm.

"If I were your mistress, would you let Zoe be photographed like that to protect me? Would you agree to that?"

Ethan looked away.

"I don't know. She's different from you."

Right. Whether I was his wife or his side piece, I was never the priority.

A single tear slid down my face. I pushed him out the door.

Disgusting.

Ethan and I had been childhood sweethearts, two families perfectly matched. Everyone called us the ideal couple. After the wedding, we really were happy for a while.

Until he started cheating.

He always kept it quiet. He only ever vented to me in private.

"We all keep things discreet. It won't affect your standing. No one outside will think less of you."

In our world, people understood that romance wasn't the most important thing.

I had loved him. I had been angry. I had made scenes.

I even thought about doing something drastic — the kind of thing desperate girls do when they're falling apart.

But the way I was raised stopped me every time.

I chose to look the other way.

What I never expected was that my tolerance only gave them room to hurt me more.

Grandpa must have been devastated to end up in the hospital.

Ethan remembered how Zoe couldn't handle being provoked, but he forgot that the old man who'd loved him like a grandson had a bad heart — and couldn't handle the shock either.

I pressed my nails into my palm.

I let myself feel the pain for a few seconds. Then I pulled myself together.

It's just a divorce.

Nothing I can't handle.