Chapter 4

I went back to Birchford.

I didn't answer Tiffany's calls or reply to any of her messages.

On the third day, I had the divorce papers delivered to her office, but she refused to sign them.

I knew she was trying to drag things out.

Her parents and best friend took turns calling me, all making more or less the same argument. Couples fought all the time, they said, and I couldn't just throw away seven years together.

But I ignored every single one of them.

Two weeks later, I requested a transfer back to Herville, in Birchford. I'd moved to Noxmere for Tiffany, but now, all I wanted was to return to where I belonged.

When Mom saw how much weight I'd lost, she didn't ask any questions. Instead, she made a point of cooking something different for me every day.

Dad sat on the balcony, smoking. After a long silence, he finally said, "It's good to have you home."

And just like that, I broke down crying like a young boy, despite being a grown man in my 30s.

…

The divorce proceedings dragged on for a month, but eventually, it was over.

Tiffany didn't look at me once throughout the process, though her hands wouldn't stop trembling when it came time to sign the papers. I didn't look at her either.

As we left the courthouse, she suddenly stopped on the steps.

"Don't come crying to me when you regret this," she called after me.

I didn't stop walking.

"I won't."

After that day, we cut ties completely. I changed my phone number, moved somewhere new, and took a different job.

Back in Noxmere, I'd put my own career on hold to help with her family's business. Now I was back in academia, working on a collaborative research project and teaching as a professor.

Once work kept me busy, much of what had happened gradually faded into the background. Still, there were nights when I'd wake up thinking about those seven years and how much of a fool I'd been.

…

Three months later, word began circulating among our mutual acquaintances that Tiffany and Calvin were officially together.

They worked on projects and attended business meetings together, hardly ever leaving each other's side.

When a friend sent me the news, he cautiously asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm good," I simply replied.

And I meant it. At least they no longer had to sneak around behind my back.

Some time later, Kate Sawyer, the CEO of one of our partner companies, invited me to dinner. She said a team from another office would be coming to Herville and wanted me to meet them.

I agreed.

The dinner was arranged at an upscale private club, and not everyone was there yet when I arrived.

Kate chatted with me about our projects and mentioned that she knew two people on the visiting team. Both were highly capable, she said, and we might end up working together long-term.

I didn't think much of it.

Then the door to our private dining room opened.

Tiffany was the first to walk in. She wore a sharp business suit, her makeup immaculate. Calvin followed close behind. They were chatting as they entered, looking completely at ease as business partners.

"Perfect timing! Let me introduce you," Kate said, rising with a smile to greet them. "This is the professor who recently transferred to Herville. You may not have met him before. He moved to Noxmere after getting married a few years ago, but he's back now and plans to settle here for good."

As soon as Kate finished speaking, Tiffany and Calvin turned toward me. The moment they saw me, they froze.