Chapter 1

It was the third month after Leo and I got our marriage license at City Hall.

He was working late more and more often. I didn’t think much of it.

Until that day, when I decided to surprise him by bringing lunch to his office.

The receptionist smiled at me. "Mr. Osman is in the conference room, Liz. You can wait here."

The conference room door was slightly ajar.

There was no meeting inside. Only Leo and a woman sitting opposite each other.

She was crying. The way he handed her a tissue—gentle, slow—was exactly the way he used to comfort me.

I stood at the door, holding the Tupperware of lunch I had made him.

He looked up and saw me. Panic flashed in his eyes for a split second before he quickly stood up.

"Liz, she’s a new hire. She's going through some family trouble—"

I forced a smile and set the Tupperware on the table. "It's fine."

Then I looked at the girl and said softly, "You should use these tissues instead. The ones in his pocket are mint-scented. I put them there this morning. You might not like the smell."

With that, I turned around and walked away.

As the elevator doors closed, I heard him calling my name from down the hall.

I didn’t look back.

I just reached down, slipped the ring off my left ring finger, and left it on the ledge of the fire hose cabinet next to the elevator buttons.