Silence pressed in, thick and suffocating. Joshua watched me, calculating his next move like a predator sizing up prey, hunting for the right words to make me change my mind.

After a long beat, he knelt down, aiming for sincerity.

“Sadie, I admit it. I was wrong,” he confessed. “The girl you saw is Reina Martin. I met her last month when I was lecturing at my old university. Her defiance intrigued me. I wanted to know what made this ‘delicate flower’ different.”

“But after a while, I realized she’s nothing special—nowhere near you.” He tried to kiss my earlobe, his voice smooth and seductive, like the devil tempting me. “Besides, you’re my wife. I would never expect you to put up with that.”

In public, Joshua wore gold-rimmed glasses, looking refined and charming. But beneath that polished surface was a darker side that got off on ruining beautiful things. In bed, he was almost ruthless. No one could stomach his twisted tastes for long, and his lovers always came and went.

Yet in business, he was cold and decisive. With me, he was always gentle. He never hesitated to shower me with comfort and wealth, and behind closed doors, my feelings always came first.

Back in the present, his fingers traced along my side, pulling me from my thoughts. I shoved him away.

“I said I want to end this.”

Joshua laughed, eyeing me like I was a harmless kitten—claws out, but no bite.

“Sadie, is breaking up your only move?” His words landed hard.

After ten years with Joshua, breaking up had become our ritual. Every time I decided to leave, he’d charm me back, turning my declarations into pleas for attention.

But this time, I wiped away my last tear and stood my ground. “This time, it’s for real.”

I didn’t wait for his response. I bolted from the study.

When I reached the first floor, Reina was still on the sofa. She hadn’t left. Her knees were bruised, her lips swollen. Sympathy washed over me, and I handed her a tissue.

“Your lip is bleeding,” I said softly.

Reina took the tissue. Then, out of nowhere, she asked, “Don’t you hate me?”

I hesitated. Even if it wasn’t Reina, there would always be another woman. The problem was Joshua, not them. To me, she was just another person.

But there was a gleam in her eyes—a light that shouldn’t be snuffed out or wasted.

So I heard myself say, “Reina, right?”

“Don’t fool yourself into thinking Joshua cares about you. Walk away before it’s too late,” I said.

Before I could go on, Reina cut me off. “You think I’m as naive as you?”

“To me, he’s just a good-looking ATM. Fifty grand a night, and with that money, I can study music in Europe and chase my dreams.”

“But you,” she added, her gaze sharp and clear, “don’t stay in this too long.”

As women, we both understood what went unsaid between us.

In the walk-in closet, I packed my suitcase in silence while Joshua lounged in the doorway, a playful smirk on his face.

“Sadie, how long do you think we’ll be apart this time?” he teased. “Want me to call a driver or book you a hotel?”

Every time we argued, I’d make a whole production of leaving—only to spend a few nights away. Joshua was sure this time would be no different.

Our three cats—Whiskers, Mittens, and Shadow—sensed the tension and jumped into my suitcase, dead set on coming with me. Joshua hesitated. When he saw I was ignoring him—and the cats—he rubbed his nose awkwardly.

“It’s raining and cold out,” he offered. “Why don’t you stay? I’ll be the one to go.”

The house felt huge and hollow with just me in it. I fell asleep clutching the cats and drifted into restless dreams that dragged me back to fifteen.

That was the year my father had an affair and got another woman pregnant. When my mother found out, the fights turned loud and ugly. She wanted to protect her estate, but she couldn’t stomach his betrayal.

She’d once been glamorous and strong. Now she seemed to age overnight, her spark fading fast. One afternoon, I came home from school with flowers, hoping to cheer her up. But she was nowhere to be found.

When I opened the bathroom door, I found the tub filled with blood-red water. My mother was lying there, lifeless—she’d tried to end her life by cutting her wrists.

I screamed. Joshua covered my eyes, then called for the adults—and an ambulance. Thanks to how fast they acted, she survived.

My father broke things off with the other woman and came back to us, but their relationship was in ruins. It left a void in our home. I was traumatized. Depression set in, terrifying nightmares plagued me, and I even lost my ability to speak.

Through it all, Joshua stayed by my side. He took time off from school, made me laugh, and went with me to every therapy session. Six months later, I spoke my first words again.

“Do you really think love never falters?” I asked Joshua.

He squeezed my hand, tears in his eyes and a silly grin on his face. “Of course it doesn’t,” he said. “Sadie, I’ll love you forever.”

Years later, after college, my father got seriously ill. I took over the family business—until the other woman showed up again with her son, demanding a share. The company spiraled into chaos. Internal fights broke out and threatened to tear it apart. Fresh out of college, I was drowning under the pressure.

Joshua stepped in. He brought in experts to steady the business and used his family’s influence to back us. His efforts helped save the company.

Those were Joshua’s free passes in my life. But despite our shared history, time had taken its toll.

A text alert jolted me awake: “Sorry for ruining your birthday. I’ll make it up to you with a big gift when I can afford it.”

I didn’t respond. I just drifted back to sleep. The next morning, I was barely awake when my friend Nathanael Gibson blew up my phone.

“Sadie, I heard you and Joshua had a fight?” he started, his voice grating.

“If you’re just calling about that, I’m hanging up—” I interrupted.

“Wait, don’t hang up! Listen,” Nathanael urged, clearing his throat. “Sadie, you probably haven’t heard yet, but Augustine is back from overseas.”

“He’s hosting a party tonight at The Blue Elm. He mentioned you specifically.”

Our circle of friends had similar backgrounds and grew up together, though Augustine left before high school ended. Despite the distance, I’d heard he was successful abroad—and that could be an opportunity for me.

I nodded and agreed to go.

Joshua Henry sat casually in the center seat of the private lounge, lighting a cigarette with practiced ease. “Listen up, everyone. Since we’re all here, I need your two cents on a little love dilemma.”

Nathanael Gibson jumped in with a mischievous grin, clearly ready to stir the pot. “Well, that’s a first. Even a player like you has girl trouble? You got yourself into a tight spot with some lady?”

Joshua leaned back with an easy smile. “Oh, knock it off. I’m not as impulsive as you are.”

He blew out a plume of smoke and grinned. “I’m talking about Sadie. We’ve been together over ten years. When she’s not throwing a tantrum, it’s all good. But once she starts, I get so fed up with it.”

“So, any tips on how to break up with her?”

“You all know Sadie’s totally crazy about me. It won’t be a walk in the park.”

He sounded like he was complaining, but there was no missing the pride in his voice.

The others missed the subtext entirely and jumped in with suggestions, eager to stay on Joshua’s good side.

“Come on, Josh. We all grew up with Sadie. She’s gorgeous. We definitely wouldn’t want her ending up with just anyone.”

“Maybe we should figure out which one of us would be the right match and set her up.”

Nathanael, slightly tipsy and slurring his words, chimed in with a cheeky grin. “Out of all of us, I bet Augustine’s the only real contender, huh?”

Joshua laughed. Everyone knew Augustine had been doing well in Europe these past few years, but romance wasn’t really his thing.

Joshua teased knowingly. “So what do you think, Augustine? Give me a hand here. Show Sadie what real romance looks like, so she’ll stop pushing my buttons all the time.”

“Sure,” Augustine said—unexpectedly.

Joshua’s mind raced. He was probably about to object when the lounge door suddenly swung open.