Chapter 4

About forty minutes later, the front door clicked open.

Ethan changed into his loungewear and slipped into bed beside me. After a few quiet minutes, he spoke.

"My work trip might take three or four days."

"You know how corporate is. I couldn't say no."

"Yeah, I get it," I said, rolling over to face him.

In the dark, his features were obscured by shadows.

"When I get back, I’ll take you somewhere amazing. I'll make up for the honeymoon."

He reached out, draping an arm over my shoulder.

"Sounds good."

"I booked an early flight to see my parents tomorrow. Leaving around six in the morning."

"Do you want me to drop you off? It's tough to get an Uber that early."

"No need. I already scheduled a ride. You focus on your own flight."

"Alright."

He gave my shoulder a squeeze.

"Get some sleep."

He turned his back to me, and within minutes, his breathing slowed into a steady rhythm.

I lay awake in the dark, staring into the ceiling without closing my eyes once.

When my alarm went off, Ethan was still sound asleep.

I turned it off instantly, crept out of bed, and got ready in silence.

Before leaving, I looked back at the bedroom. He was sleeping deeply.

I pulled the front door shut with a gentle click, wheeling my suitcase into the elevator.

The early morning air was brisk. The Uber driver yawned as he asked, "Where to?"

"The airport."

"Catching an early one, huh?"

"Yeah."

I leaned against the back seat, watching the streetlights blur past in the dawn.

My phone vibrated with a flight notification.

Departure at 6:15 AM, landing at 8:00 AM.

Their flight wasn't until 10:00 AM. That gave me more than enough time.

At 8:10 AM, my plane touched down.

I grabbed a cab and went straight to the resort.

I walked right up to the reception desk.

"Hi, I have a reservation for a deluxe king room today under the name Chloe Taylor."

The receptionist verified my ID and offered a polite smile.

"Welcome, Ms. Taylor. Your room is ready. Here is your keycard."

I took the card, lingering for a moment.

"Quick question—are there any other vacancies on this floor?"

She glanced at the system.

"Yes, quite a few. Occupancy is relatively low on this floor today."

Plenty of rooms.

Ethan’s claim that the resort was completely booked was a blatant lie.

"Thank you."

I took the elevator up to my floor.

I unlocked my room, set down my suitcase, and checked the time.

Pulling out my phone, I shot Ethan a text.

*Babe, did you land yet?*

Three minutes later, he replied.

*Just touched down. Waiting for baggage claim. The weather is great here. Miss you.*

*Miss you.*

I stared at those two words, a wave of disgust washing over me.

He was on his way to a luxury resort with another woman, yet he could type out "miss you" without flinching.

*Miss you too. Good luck with work,* I replied, then opened Instagram.

Hailey had just posted a new Story.

It was a photo of an office desk, multiple spreadsheets open on two monitors, and an iced latte next to the keyboard.

Caption: *Rise and grind! Smiling through the weekend overtime.*

Geotag: our hometown.

Looking at the post, my lips curled into a cold, mocking smirk.

Flawless execution.

She was sitting on a plane heading out of town, yet her social media showed her chained to her desk back home.

A calculated alibi.

If I hadn't received that phone call from the resort, if I hadn't flown out here myself, I would have bought her little sob story hook, line, and sinker.

Seeing that it was almost time, I pulled a chair over and sat right behind my room's door.

A few minutes later, the elevator chime echoed from the end of the hallway.

I held my breath and pressed my eye to the peephole.

The elevator doors slid open. First came a charcoal gray suitcase.

Then Ethan stepped out.

Right behind him was Hailey.

She wore a breezy white sundress, her long hair cascading down her shoulders, laughing playfully as she talked to him.

Ethan slowed down to wait for her, and they walked down the hall side by side.

Right outside the honeymoon suite door, Ethan pulled out the keycard.

I hit "Record" on my phone, took a deep breath, and stepped out into the hall.