Chapter 4

After the hotel fiasco, Ryan started giving me the silent treatment.

Every day he left early and came home late. When he did come home, he went straight to the study to sleep without saying a single word to me.

On the weekend, Ryan went to work overtime again.

Alone at home, I drifted from room to room like a ghost.

Once I calmed down, I started to reflect.

Maybe I really had been too wound up lately, reading too much into things.

Aside from his being with Dana Carter, nothing else at the hotel had looked suspicious.

Ryan had been working himself ragged for this family for years. I could see that. I shouldn't have humiliated him in public like that.

Once I'd thought it through, I decided to be the one to break the ice.

On Friday evening, I bought all his favorite ingredients and cooked an elaborate dinner from scratch.

When Ryan walked in and saw the spread, he paused.

"Honey, I was wrong about the hotel. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions and doubted you." I walked over, took his briefcase, and softened my voice.

Ryan's eyes flickered for a moment. Then he sighed and pulled me into his arms.

"Babe, it's my fault too. Work's been so stressful lately that I've been neglecting how you feel. I'll try to come home earlier from now on." His chin rested on my shoulder, his voice full of weariness and tenderness.

That night, we fell asleep in each other's arms for the first time in a long while.

Our relationship finally started to thaw. He even brought up, with genuine excitement, that next week was our third wedding anniversary. He wanted to throw a party at home and invite all our friends over for a real celebration.

I thought life was finally back on track.

Then came that day.

I was sorting through our seasonal clothes when, out of habit, I checked the pockets of a pair of Ryan's pants before sending them to the dry cleaner.

My fingers touched a stiff piece of paper.

I pulled it out. It was a receipt from a private clinic.

Procedure: Surgical Abortion.

Date: Three months ago.

Amount: $6,000.

Paid by: Ryan.

My mind went blank, as if something inside had detonated.

Three months ago?

That was exactly when my company had sent me out of town for a two-week training program.

Who had Ryan taken to get an abortion?

Dana Carter?

Or some other woman?

My hands shook violently. Tears splattered onto the receipt before I could stop them.

A memory surged forward, chilling me to the bone.