Chapter 2

Shannon's POV

I went to the mall to find something to wear to my interview.

I hadn't bought much for myself in years. David's dress shirts seemed to get more expensive every time he bought one, and Nick always had another pair of sneakers he wanted, while I kept telling myself there was nothing I needed right away.

A sales associate brought me a pale cream pantsuit to try on.

When I stepped out of the fitting room, I stopped in front of the mirror. For a second, the woman staring back at me almost looked like a stranger.

I'd spent so long seeing myself in an apron, standing over a stove, that I'd almost forgotten I could look like this too.

But when I went to pay, the cashier swiped my card and paused. "I'm sorry, ma'am. You're no longer an authorized user on this account."

I froze. "What?"

"The primary cardholder changed the authorized user."

For a moment, the counter seemed unbearably quiet. Heat rushed into my face. Then a gentle voice came from behind me.

"Are you still getting that?"

I turned. A woman in a white dress stood a few feet away.

I recognized her immediately. Kandy Collins, David's first love, and the woman he'd sworn he hadn't spoken to in years.

She walked up to the register and handed the cashier a card. "Use this."

The receipt printed a moment later, and my eyes fell on the last four digits of the account number.

They were the same as David's.

I stood there, and strangely enough, even my anger seemed to fade.

So, that was it. David hadn't just cut me off. He'd simply given my place to her.

Kandy picked up her shopping bags and turned to me with the faintest smile. "Ms. Ruah?"

I said nothing.

As if something had just occurred to her, she added, "David's mentioned you before. He said you do a wonderful job taking care of everything at home."

My eyes dropped to the bags in her hand. "He's mentioned you, too."

Her smile faltered.

I didn't give her a chance to respond. I turned and walked away.

Once I was outside the mall, I called the bank to find out exactly when I'd been removed from the account.

It was two weeks ago, the day before Nick went back to school.

Just then, a text popped up on my phone. It was from Nick. "Mom, can you make barbecue ribs tonight?"

I stared at the message for a long time before replying, "Ask your dad. He'll figure something out."

David called almost immediately. "What is that supposed to mean? Nick wants your cooking."

I stood at the bus stop, watching traffic roll past. "I thought he preferred having someone else help him with his schoolwork."

There was silence on the other side for several seconds. "Who told you that?"

"No one." I kept my voice even. "I'm not coming home to cook tonight."

David's tone hardened. "Don't take this out on Nick."

I hung up. That night, I had dinner alone at a little diner.

The living room lights were still on when I got home, and takeout containers were scattered across the dining table.

Nick was sitting on the couch. The moment he saw me, he frowned. "You seriously didn't make dinner?"

I set my purse down. "You already ate, didn't you?"

"The takeout was awful."

"Then tell your dad to order from somewhere better next time."

David came out of his home office and looked at me. "Where were you all day?"

"Job interview. Then I went shopping for something to wear."

His gaze dropped to my empty hands. "Where are the clothes?"

I smiled. "I couldn't exactly buy them after you gave my card to someone else, could I?"

His expression changed instantly. Nick glanced up at him, then quickly lowered his gaze. And just like that, the last bit of doubt I'd been holding on to disappeared.

Nick knew too.

David stepped toward me. "Shannon, I can explain the card."

I moved away before he could touch me. "Don't bother."

"Then what do you want?"

"Nothing." I looked at the half-empty takeout containers on the table, my voice flat. "From now on, what you eat, where you go, who you spend your time with… None of it is any of my business."

Nick dropped his fork onto the table with a clatter. "What's the point of acting like this?"

I turned to him. "What was the point of lying to me all summer?"

He went silent. I didn't look at either of them again. I went into the bedroom and shut the door behind me.

After that night, I stopped making breakfast. By the third morning, David finally had enough.

"Shannon, this has gone far enough."

I was by the front door, slipping on my shoes. "I have another interview today."

Nick appeared in his bedroom doorway, his hair still a mess from sleep. He frowned at me. "Then what am I supposed to eat for lunch?"

I looked at him. "Ask your dad."

And this time, I walked out without looking back.