Chapter 2

Using that unique ID, I easily tracked down all of Christina's social media accounts.

Following the digital breadcrumbs, I found her long-inactive Ins account.

It hadn't been updated in years, but it was still linked to that familiar profile picture – Mark's account.

Her posts were, predictably, restricted.

I thought for a moment, typed in Christina's publicly listed birthday from her other social media and, just like that, it unlocked.

It was packed with all of his and her past.

In five years of marriage, Mark had never posted a single picture of me on X.

Even on the day Harry was born, he posted "Grateful for the miracle of life," but the accompanying picture was just a random stock photo he'd downloaded.

But in this restricted feed, he posted Christina's pictures for every holiday.

She looked vibrant and full of life through his lens.

Drooling in her sleep, getting ice cream on her nose, laughing so hard she had a double chin, crying with tears and snot running down her face...

Anyone could see he was madly in love with her, every single expression.

Unlike me, when I cried, he would just calmly say, "Wipe it off. You don't look good like that."

There were several videos from when they were deeply in love saved in the album.

He'd call her in a soft, doting voice, "My darling."

And me?

From dating to marriage, he always just called me by my name. He never called me "darling."

I used to think he was just reserved, not good at expressing himself.

But it was only because every time he said it, it felt like he was calling someone else.

Unable to stop trembling, I shook him awake.

"Mark," I heard my voice, broken.

"Can you call me 'darling' just once?"

His sleepy eyes instantly cleared, his pupils constricted.

He still couldn't say it. He just whispered, "Stop it, go back to sleep."

I closed my eyes, my heart utterly disheartened.