Chapter 2

It was full of contraceptives and other intimate supplies.

The sharper-eyed guests spotted it immediately and started egging him on.

"Looks like Felix has a long night planned with Ms. Calder."

"What can I say? She doesn't get many chances while she's busy playing sick. Tonight I'm going to remind her what she's been missing.

"If we hadn't set up that ten-year fake-illness wager with her, none of this would have been necessary. She's about to dump that useless husband anyway."

Felix Danner wore the smile of a man who'd already won, and the line drew another round of whistles.

I lowered my eyes. Every word of it went into me like a nail.

So Vivian's illness being fake was common knowledge to these people.

Meanwhile my family had burned through everything we owned for a disease that never existed, and it had nearly destroyed us.

Felix looked me over with open disgust.

"Why is the delivery guy still standing here? Get lost. People like you sour the whole room.

"Kessler, get him out of here."

The guard who'd treated me like garbage turned into a lapdog the instant Felix spoke. Then he looked back at me and the viciousness came right back.

"How many times does somebody have to tell a thick-skulled idiot like you that this isn't where you belong? Move."

He started kicking at me, and I scrambled away from the club.

The wealthy guests howled at the sight, and the laughter was loud enough to drown in.

Felix was laughing too, and his smile widened when a woman's voice came from behind him.

"Felix, why are you still out there? I get lonely the second you leave."

At that familiar voice, I couldn't stop myself from turning around.

Vivian Calder, my wife of ten years, had both arms hooked around Felix's neck like it was the most natural place for them.

After a few soft words they went back inside together, Felix still gripping the package I'd just delivered.

I looked one second too long and took another hard kick from Kessler.

I went down on the pavement, and my phone chimed in my pocket.

A message from my wife.

"Julian, don't wait up tonight. I have an important client meeting.

"Remember to buy my medicine. I'll take it when I get home."

I laughed, bitter and quiet, and stayed down on the ground while the tears finally came.

I didn't ask her why she'd lied. I sent Vivian one message and nothing else.

"Vivian, what if we stopped treating your illness?"

She called almost before it delivered.

By then Kessler had run me off into a narrow alley where my only company was moonlight and rats.

Vivian's soft, gentle voice didn't belong anywhere near that place.

"Julian, what happened? Did something go wrong on your route today?"

I looked at the penalty notice on my screen and smiled at nothing.

"My deliveries ran late. They took everything I made today."

"That's all right, Julian.

"I know this strange illness of mine has cost you so much. If you're really this exhausted, we'll stop the treatment and save the money for your mother's lungs instead."

Vivian sounded so gentle, like she was giving something up for our family. It was the most understanding thing a person could say.

The old version of me would have wept and sworn on the spot that I'd find a way to care for both of them.

She could say things like that because she'd never once doubted that I loved her.

Now I understood that our family had never existed inside her at all.

Whatever I'd felt ten years ago had been ground down until there was nothing left of it.