Chapter 4

“Can’t talk. I’m busy.”

The line went dead.

By the time I arrived, the plot where my father had been buried had already been torn apart by excavation.

The flowers I’d left for him just a few days earlier had been trampled into the dirt.

A cemetery staff member approached me with a sympathetic look before explaining, “Miss Walker wasn’t comfortable with a plot that had already been occupied, so she chose another location instead.

“If you’d like, we can relocate your father’s remains back here.”

My gaze fell upon the broken headstone, where my father smiled back at me from his portrait.

All at once, every last bit of my strength left me.

I emptied my savings to purchase my father a new burial plot. By the time the paperwork was finished, it was well past midnight.

Upon my return home, I sat on the sofa on my own until morning light.

Julian came out of the bedroom and strode toward me with a frown.

“You haven’t been picking up your phone all day, and now you’re sitting here alone. What are you playing at, Madison?”

I stiffly met Julian’s concerned gaze.

My voice was flat.

“I want a divorce, Julian.”

Julian froze for a minute, then rage took over.

“Are you threatening me with a divorce now? Didn’t I tell you that Trish was emotional? She needed assurance.

“Besides, I paid for your father’s burial. If you walk out on me now, you won’t even have enough money for a proper burial.

“Know where you stand, Madison.”

Having said his piece, Julian rose and dressed for work.

He stopped at the door and sighed.

“Madison, so long as you play nice, everything I own will be yours. No one can take that away from you.

“Give it some thought. I’ll take you out for dinner when I get home later.”

The door shut with a slam.

Silence fell over the room.

After a long moment of reflection on the couch, I took out my phone.

Young Julian said, “Well? Did you manage to locate evidence of the illegal operations I told you about?

“I know myself best. The folder sitting out in plain sight on my computer is the last place anyone would think to look. That’s where I’d hide the most incriminating files.”

I looked down at the tiny flash drive resting in my palm and said nothing.

The Julian from five years ago understood the man he’d become better than I ever could.

With his help, I had gathered every piece of evidence exposing Julian’s malpractice.

Met with my silence, young Julian asked, his eyes red-rimmed, “Madison, is there anything else you need me to do for you?”

I drew a deep breath and replied, “Julian, the last five years being married to you have been absolute hell.

“Please set me free, stay away from me, and never show your face to me again.”

Following a heavy pause, young Julian stared at the screen and uttered with a struggle, “Alright. You have my word.”

Ending the video call, I wheeled my suitcase and opened the door.

I walked away from the place that was once my home for five years.

…

Likely rattled by my words about divorcing him, Julian was visibly edgy during his drive to work

In the past, I would never mention divorce no matter how intense our fights were or how long the silent treatment went on.

I was never the type to stake our marriage on the chance that Julian would come back to me.

Yet, I was acting out of character today.

Julian wasn’t able to shake off the uneasy feeling even when he arrived at his office.

He opened the door to find the hallway swarming with people, their expressions anxious.

His assistant hurried up to him and whispered, “This is bad, Mr. Lorde. Confidential files from our firm have been leaked, and the media and clients are blowing up our phones.”

Julian hesitated for one second before blurting, “Get my wife the first flight out of the country. Keep her out of this mess.”

Baffled, his assistant pulled a funny look.

“Mr. Lorde, you’ve never been married. What wife?”