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Fifty-Two Trips Too Late
Fifty-Two Trips Too Late
Author: Windy Way

Chapter 1

Author: Windy Way
It was past midnight when Kevin stumbled through the door, reeking of alcohol.

The second he saw the photos and divorce papers on the coffee table, he froze.

The color drained from his face.

I shoved the papers and a pen toward him.

"Sign it. I'm not sharing my husband."

He didn't.

Instead, he crossed the room, crouched in front of me, and launched into an explanation.

"Fiona's been dealing with depression for years. She keeps threatening to kill herself if she can't see me. I can't just abandon someone I grew up with. She's like a little sister—"

"'Little sister'?"

I let out a cold laugh.

"What kind of 'little sister' ends up in your bed and gets pregnant with your kid?"

Panic flickered across his face.

"It's not mine. She wrote that herself. There's nothing going on between us!"

When I didn't respond, he frowned.

Like he was the one being wronged.

"We've been together for seven years. Don't you trust me at all?"

I was done listening to excuses.

I shoved the pen back toward him.

He let out a laugh. "Fine. I'll call her right now. We'll clear this up."

He pulled out his phone and dialed. The call connected almost immediately. He switched on speaker.

"Fiona, did you write that nonsense on the photo on purpose? Avery's upset."

On the other end, Fiona sounded shocked before breaking into tears.

"I'm sorry. I was just joking. I didn't think Avery would find out—"

"Whatever happens to you from now on, I'm not showing up anymore. Stop trying to come between us."

Kevin hung up without hesitation.

He looked at me, eyes full of desperation.

"See? It was all a misunderstanding. It's cleared up now. You can hit me or yell at me, but don't talk about divorce, okay?"

Maybe I would've believed him before.

But that wasn't the point.

The point was that all fifty-two photos had been taken on the days he was supposed to be traveling with me.

How was I supposed to just let that go?

How was I supposed to believe the baby Fiona was carrying wasn't his?

When I didn't respond, he lifted his head and pushed himself up. Bracing his hands on either side of me, he tried to pull me into his arms and carry me toward the bedroom.

"You've been exhausted lately. That's why you're overthinking everything. Let's have our own baby. Once we have a child, you won't be stuck on this anymore."

I turned away before his lips could touch mine and stepped out of his arms.

"Sleep in the guest room tonight."

The color drained from his face.

He lowered his head and gave a bitter smile.

"It's okay. I'll prove it to you. Tomorrow, I'll have her get rid of the baby."

I watched him get up and head for the guest room.

That night, I didn't sleep.

When I woke again, it was five in the morning.

The husband who used to make me breakfast every day was standing in the kitchen with his back to me, speaking softly into his phone. "Don't worry, babe. I'll be there for your next appointment...

"I'm sorry about last night. You know how stubborn Avery is. If I hadn't done that, she really would've divorced me. Did you like the Versace bag I got you?

"...Okay, okay. I'll get something for our little one too."

I froze.

In that moment, my heart shattered for good.

I quietly returned to the bedroom and booked a ticket to Antarctica.

This time, I couldn't afford to give in.

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  • Fifty-Two Trips Too Late   Chapter 11

    Kevin came to see me that summer.He'd lost a lot of weight. His jaw looked sharper, his eyes hollow. Standing in the doorway of the flower shop in a wrinkled shirt, he looked ten years older."Avery."I stayed behind the counter, scissors still in hand."What do you want?""I wanted to see you.""You've seen me. You can leave now."He didn't move. "I was fired from the hospital.""I know.""My medical license was revoked.""I know.""I have nothing left."I set the scissors down and looked at him. "Did you come here looking for sympathy?"He shook his head. "No. I just wanted to say I'm sorry."A short laugh escaped me."You owe apologies to a lot of people. My mom. Me. And the baby you used as a bargaining chip."His face drained of color."Kevin, do you know that the night my mom died, I spent thirty minutes begging outside the ICU? I begged the doctors to try something else. They told me if a matching donor had arrived just thirty minutes earlier, she would've live

  • Fifty-Two Trips Too Late   Chapter 10

    The day the flower shop opened, Leo actually showed up.He stood in the doorway with a flower basket, wearing a white T-shirt. His smile was bright enough to rival the sunlight."Avery, congrats on the grand opening!""How'd you find this place?""Your social media post had the address."Right. I'd posted the shop location two days ago."Come in. I'll make some tea."Leo wandered around the shop, taking everything in."It's beautiful.""My mom came up with it.""Your mom?"I lowered my head and trimmed a few stems. "She always wanted a place like this. White walls. Wooden shelves. Sunlight pouring through the windows, making everything feel warm."He was quiet for a second."Your mom must've been really gentle.""She was."I handed him a cup of tea.After one sip, he studied me."Avery, did you lose weight?""Did I?""Yeah. Your face looks thinner."His brows pulled together like he was genuinely concerned.I almost laughed."You're a kid. Why are you worrying so

  • Fifty-Two Trips Too Late   Chapter 9

    After I got back from Antarctica, I moved into the house I'd bought.Once the lawsuit money came through, I transferred half of it to Dad."Dad, take it. Spend it. Stop being so frugal."He was quiet for a long moment before speaking."I don't need the money. Keep it. Go live your life.""I already am.""Then when are you coming home to see me?"My nose stung. "I'll be back this weekend."That weekend, I loaded up with gifts and headed back to my hometown.When Dad opened the door, I noticed even more gray in his hair.Mom's framed photo sat on the mantel. Fresh lilies rested on the table beside it."Mom liked lilies. I remember."Dad nodded, his eyes turning red. "The day she passed, the last thing she said was your name."I set my bags down and walked over. My fingers brushed the frame."Mom, I'm here."That night, Dad and I sat on the balcony, sipping tea.He asked what I wanted to do next."I want to open a flower shop.""A flower shop?""Yeah. Mom always said sh

  • Fifty-Two Trips Too Late   Chapter 8

    The wind rolled in, carrying the sharp bite of ice and snow.Leo was four years younger than me. Clean-cut, easy smile. Every time he talked, his eyes crinkled at the corners."Did you come by yourself?""Yeah.""That's pretty brave." He smiled. "You're the youngest one here. Everyone else came with someone."I didn't answer.I zipped my puffer jacket up higher and kept staring at the glacier.Leo didn't push it.He just sat beside me.Every now and then, he'd hand me a cup of hot coffee.The next night, we waited for the aurora out on the ice field.Everyone else had already gone back to their tents to warm up.I was the only one still outside.At some point, Leo stepped out and stopped a couple feet behind me."Avery, aren't you freezing?""I'm fine.""Then why are you still out here?"I looked at the faint streak of green along the horizon. "I'm waiting for the aurora."He was quiet for a second.Then he walked over and held out a scarf. "Put this on. If you freez

  • Fifty-Two Trips Too Late   Chapter 7

    I hung up.Then I blocked his number again.The lawsuit dragged on for a month and a half.Natalie lived up to her reputation. She tied every one of Kevin's transactions into an airtight chain of evidence.Kevin hired a lawyer.It didn't help.The verdict came down.I won.A total of $7.13 million.Kevin was ordered to pay all legal fees.As we walked out of the courthouse, Natalie patted my shoulder."Avery, you okay?"I smiled. "I'm great. Better than I've ever been."My phone rang.Unknown number.I answered and immediately heard Fiona crying."Avery, are you really going to kick me out? I don't have anywhere to go. I have nothing left—""You have Kevin."I was in a great mood. My voice stayed light.She sounded close to a breakdown."He can't help me anymore. The hospital suspended him. He's nothing now—""Perfect. Two losers. Sounds like a match."She went silent."How can you be so cruel?"I laughed."You got pregnant by my husband, spent my money, lived

  • Fifty-Two Trips Too Late   Chapter 6

    Kevin refused to sign. He kept insisting he'd treat me right from now on.The words made me sick.I slapped him, grabbed a fruit knife from the table, and pressed it against his neck."Don't make me sick with this act. Sign it, or I'll send you to my mom so you can apologize to her yourself."He let out a long breath.In the end, he signed.But a signed divorce agreement wasn't enough.I went back to my apartment and compiled every cent Kevin and Fiona had spent on their affair over the past seven years.I was going to make them pay back every last dollar.The apartment Fiona lived in. The car he bought her. The jewelry. The clothes.Even the plane tickets. Fifty-two of them. All first class.Every penny came from our marital assets.I picked up my phone and dialed a number."Natalie? It's Avery. I want to hire you for a lawsuit."Natalie was my college classmate. In divorce and family law, she had a reputation for being ruthless."Asset recovery?" she asked. "Do you hav

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