Chapter 3

Julian was so nervous that he could barely speak. His hand shook violently as he handed me the love letter.

The moment I gave him the nod, he looked like he’d stumbled upon a hidden chest of gold.

Thrilled, Julian scooped me up and spun me around.

I trusted that Julian had once loved me with all his heart.

Still, no doubt that version of Julian who loved me was already gone, long before he lost himself.

A loud snap brought me back to reality.

On the screen, blood dripped from young Julian’s hand as he gripped a broken pen.

He stared at one of the clauses and murmured, “In the event of an accidental miscarriage during the marriage, the husband shall be liable for appropriate compensation…

“What’s this supposed to mean, Madison?”

The incident came back to me. It happened around three months ago.

The years of emotional abuse left me with severe depression. I survived on heavy doses of antidepressants just to make it through each day.

When I collapsed and was rushed to the hospital, the doctor told me I was pregnant.

Nevertheless, my long-term dependence on medication had halted the baby’s development.

The nurse tried calling Julian, my emergency contact, to let him know what had happened.

The phone rang for what felt like forever before going straight into voicemail.

Under the doctor’s sympathetic gaze, I was wheeled into surgery alone.

When Julian came to find out, he showed up riddled with guilt, saying that he'd been caught up at work and hadn’t noticed the call.

Teary-eyed, Julian apologized and said he had messed up.

At the time, I no longer cared to guess whether he had actually been working or spending time with Trisha.

Anything related to him no longer mattered to me.

The line went quiet for a bit.

I was about to break the silence, assuming that the connection had dropped.

Young Julian spoke up.

“Madison, is it just the divorce you’re after?

“What if I tell you that I can get you the divorce and make him pay?”

…

After a long pause, I chuckled.

“Why should I believe you?

“Let’s not forget that you’re the exact same Julian. No one would be happy to throw away their future for someone else.

“Not to mention, you’ve always been a smart guy, Julian.”

Julian let out a wry smile.

“You’re talking about the twenty-seven-year-old Julian.

“The twenty-seven-year-old Julian would use his intelligence to manipulate you and keep you tied to him.

“But the twenty-two-year-old would use that same intelligence to help you.”

“Why?”

“Because I love you, Madison. I can’t bear to see you hurt.”

I was taken aback, finding the irony almost laughable.

At twenty-two, Julian could make a life-altering choice simply because he loved me.

Meanwhile, Julian at twenty-seven forgot what responsibility meant the higher he rose and the more he achieved.

The next day, I showed up at Julian’s firm.

His assistant told me he was away and told me to sit and wait a little.

I shook my head and placed the divorce papers on his desk.

Not every ending needed a goodbye.

Right after I left the agreement, my phone rang.

The call was from the cemetery office.

“Mrs. Lorde? We’re calling to confirm a grave relocation request your husband submitted this morning. Before we proceed, we’d like to verify that you approve moving your father’s remains to a plot on the north side of the cemetery. It's a more secluded area with limited sunlight...”

My mind went blank as a loud ring echoed in my ears.

I bolted out of the firm and hailed a cab frantically.

In the back of the taxi, I tried Julian’s number in a fluster.

By my fiftieth attempt, the call finally connected.

Losing my composure, I rasped out, “Julian, that’s my father’s grave we’re talking about!”

Silence lingered in the air before Julian’s resigned voice came through.

“I know your father means a lot to you, but Trish’s dog just died. It’s a trying moment for her.

“You know what a headache it is when she gets emotional.”

Before I could say anything more, Trisha’s whimpers echoed in the background.

Distracted, Julian uttered in a hurry, “I’ve already had your father’s remains moved to a new plot. It’s just a grave. It doesn’t really matter where he’s buried.”