Chapter 1

Allyson pondered for a moment, then said, "Since you already know about Joe and me, let's just have him spend Christmas with us this year."

She said it like it was the most natural thing in the world.

I froze inside. It was hard to believe this was the woman I'd loved for fifteen years. How much further did she think she could push this?

My silence, in her eyes, only read as generosity and understanding.

Allyson reached up gently, the way she used to, wanting to cup my face and kiss me like nothing had changed.

I stepped back before she could, my eyes stinging. Swallowing the bitterness rising in my throat, I said, "Do whatever you want. I've got an experiment to run over the holidays."

From then on, neither she nor our son would ever appear in my life again during Christmas.

On the surface, I looked calm and composed. Underneath, my heart had already shattered into pieces too small to put back together.

I turned and started up the stairs. Behind me, Allyson's voice took on a bitter, needling edge.

"No matter what, your experiments always come first. I'll always come in second place to your lab."

Then, suddenly, she raised her voice on purpose, calling after me in a tone that was almost playful.

"Honey, are you just dying for me to cheat on you?"

I stopped and turned to look at her.

She was smiling, and when I didn't answer right away, she added, "I thought you'd throw a fit. I didn't expect you'd still be thinking about your experiment at a time like this."

I asked her, "If I made you two end it, could you actually end it properly?"

The smile faded from her face, replaced by something more serious.

"Do you want the truth, or a lie?"

"The truth."

Without hesitating, she said, "I can't end it. Just like you'll never give up your experiments."

She paused awhile, and something like regret crossed her expression.

"If you hadn't poured every ounce of your time and energy into your work and left my needs unmet, Joe would never have been able to come between us."

I almost laughed. So her affair was my fault?

I'd buried myself in the lab day and night, developing new products for her pharmaceutical company, turning her into the top name in the industry. Was that my fault too?

Since she'd forgotten where she came from, I'd send her back there myself.

I messaged my lawyer right away.

[Draw up the divorce papers. Also, none of my patents or research results are to be used by Fowler Pharmaceuticals anymore, effective immediately.]

Too many good days.

That was all it took to make a woman lose herself.

Her phone rang. She lowered her voice, but I could still tell it was Joe Shaffer calling.

She was soothing him. "It's fine. He didn't make a scene. His head's still stuck in his experiments; he doesn't have the time to worry about me.

"Don't go sending anything crazy like that again; don't cause trouble."

"Coming over for Christmas this year? Fine, you win. We'll do it, right here in the house, living room to bedroom."