Chapter 4

The line went silent for a moment before Vince finally realized something was wrong.

"What happened?"

I took a picture and sent it to him. "Take a good look."

He was quiet for another moment, then let out a sigh. "They sent them to the wrong address."

"So the only problem is where they were delivered? Taking wedding photos with her was perfectly fine?"

Vince sounded exasperated. "Come to the office. I'll explain everything."

After hanging up, I grabbed my purse and left.

A dull ache throbbed in my chest.

Vince never let me visit him at work. He said it would look unprofessional. I never imagined the first time he let me into his office would be under circumstances like these.

The moment I stepped off the elevator, an employee stopped me. "Visitors aren't allowed past reception. You'll need to wait here."

I was about to explain when Lauren appeared. She took my arm and led me inside.

"It's fine. She's with me."

She moved through the office as though she owned the place, almost like she was the lady of the house.

Lauren led me into Vince's office and poured me a glass of water.

"Vince is in a meeting. You'll have to wait."

I didn't take it. Instead, I looked around.

Matching pajama sets were draped over the couch, and even Vince's mug had been replaced with one from a matching pair. His desk was also covered with little crafts they had made together.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

After we got married, I often asked him to take a pottery or craft class with me. He never once agreed. He always said he was too busy or promised we would go another time.

That time never came.

Now, I finally understood. He just didn't want to go with me.

Lauren didn't seem bothered by my silence. She smiled as she began putting things away.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Natalie. There's nothing going on between Vince and me.

"I know you're still upset, and I know you're frustrated because the two of you barely sleep together. I can talk to him for you.

"But Vince can go for a long time, and you're so afraid of getting hurt. You can't really blame him for not wanting to..."

Despite her words, a mocking smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

My heart felt as though it were being torn apart, but I let out a cold laugh. "What, he even tells you about our sex life?"

Lauren smiled, and a blush crept across her cheeks.

"It's only because he trusts me. I even have videos."

She pulled out her phone to show me as she continued.

"My friends have seen them, too. They all think you're way too uptight. Which is surprising. Considering your mother was a homewrecker, you'd think you'd be a little less..."

She slowly looked me up and down, leaving the rest unsaid.

A chill ran through me, and my entire body began to shake. "He even told you about that..."

Lauren gave me a gentle smile and took my hand. "I didn't mean anything by it, but with a mother like that, it's only natural Vince wouldn't love you."

I yanked my hand away, my breathing quickening.

"Don't you dare talk about my mother that way!"

What happened to my mother had caused a huge scandal at the time.

She had fallen ill and could no longer afford to support me, so she had traveled hundreds of miles with me to find my father. Only after we arrived did she discover that he already had a wife and children.

His wife threw us out, and the entire family called my mother a shameless homewrecker. Desperate to protect me from the humiliation, my mother eventually took her own life.

She had been lied to from the very beginning. She really thought my father had only gone away to find work.

Vince was the only person I had ever trusted with any of this. And yet, he told Lauren everything.

My eyes burned as I raised my hand to slap her.

Vince suddenly rushed in and shoved me away.

"Natalie, I asked you here so we could work this out. I didn't bring you here to cause a scene."

I shoved him back, then grabbed hold of him before he could step away. "Why did you show her intimate videos of me? Why did you tell her about my mother when you knew she was innocent?!"

Vince's voice softened, but his expression remained dismissive.

"Lauren saw the videos by accident. Besides, she only showed them to a few close friends. She promised they wouldn't share them with anyone else. As for your mother..."

He paused deliberately.

"An affair takes two people."

A bitter laugh escaped me, and my eyes went blank.

To him, Lauren sharing the videos was no big deal, and my mother's innocence meant nothing.

I used all my strength and slapped him across the face.

But the force of it threw me off balance, and I stumbled into the bookcase behind me. The shelves rocked violently, and I watched in horror as the entire bookcase began tipping toward me.

Panic shot through me.

Vince instinctively pulled Lauren out of the way.

The next second, the bookcase crashed down on top of me.

As I slipped into unconsciousness, I looked toward him. In the final moment before everything went dark, I saw his eyes widen as he rushed toward me.

I had no idea how much time had passed when I finally woke up.

Three of my ribs were broken.

This time, Vince was the one who texted me first.

[I'm buying you some clothes. What kind do you like?]

But in the corner of the photo, I could still see Lauren trying on clothes.

Maybe I was only an afterthought again.

I almost laughed.

For once, Vince was the one to reach out first.

But I didn't want to answer.

I calmly deleted his number, then left the divorce papers behind and headed for the airport.

-

A long time passed, but Vince still hadn't heard back from Natalie.

He wondered if she had fallen asleep.

He bought several outfits in the styles she usually wore, but when he returned to the hospital, her bed was empty.

The divorce papers were lying on top of it.

His eyes widened. The shopping bags slipped from his hands, hitting the floor.