Chapter 3

Ethan didn’t come home that night.

But I saw him on Chloe’s Snapchat story.

She’d posted a picture of them kissing, along with a photo of their marriage certificate.

The caption read:

“One year of being yours.”

Several of our mutual friends sent confused replies.

“Isn’t that Nora Bennett’s boyfriend of seven years?”

“Are you seriously the other woman?”

But Ethan quickly answered them himself.

“We broke up. Someone just refuses to let go.”

“Chloe Parker is my one and only wife.”

Maybe everyone had heard so much about my desperate desire to get married that they found it easy to believe him.

They congratulated Chloe.

“Of course two successful people belong together.”

“All Nora ever does is revolve around her man.”

“Can’t wait to see how she reacts to her precious boyfriend dumping her. Think she’ll throw a fit?”

They were having so much fun without me.

I couldn’t stop shaking as I stared at the marriage certificate, my eyes burning.

They’d already been married for a year.

That meant they’d gotten married when my grandmother was seriously ill.

I’d cared for her day and night. My eyes had been constantly swollen from crying.

Lying in her hospital bed, barely able to speak, she’d gestured for me to come closer and asked:

“Sweetheart, where’s that boyfriend of yours?”

I’d told her he was busy and would visit when he had time.

Tears welled in her clouded eyes.

“I wanted to see you get married. I don’t think I have enough time.”

I’d shaken my head desperately and told her she did.

Then I’d called Ethan and begged.

“I don’t need a wedding or anything. Can’t we just get married?”

After a long silence, he’d given me a vague answer.

“I’m really busy right now. Give me three months or so.”

Grandma hadn’t even lasted one.

Back then, I hadn’t understood why Ethan insisted on waiting.

Now I knew. He’d just married Chloe.

I pressed a hand to my chest, unable to breathe beneath the weight of the truth.

Wiping away my tears, I sent Chloe a message.

“I guess you don’t want that chance.”

She video-called me almost immediately.

She made no attempt to hide the hickeys on her neck as she blinked at me.

“What chance? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Smiling, she held up her marriage certificate.

“All I know is that I’m Ethan Hayes’s legal wife.”

“And you?”

She raised her voice.

“Ethan said himself that he broke up with you ages ago.”

My eyes widened.

A man’s arm slipped around Chloe and pulled her close.

Ethan looked down at me through the screen.

“Nora, you went too far.”

“I had to do this to stop you from running your mouth to Chloe’s mother.”

“So that gives you the right to announce to everyone that we’ve broken up without even telling me?”

The corner of Ethan’s mouth lifted.

“Nora, this is your punishment.”

“If you take some time to calm down and apologize to Chloe, I might consider taking you back…”

Nausea suddenly churned in my stomach.

I nearly threw up.

“Don’t bother.”

I cut him off, clutching my abdomen.

“We’re done.”

“Ethan, I’m the one who never wants to see you again.”

Not even for the sake of the child who hadn’t been born yet.