Chapter 2

Jason was wearing the coat I gave him for our eighth anniversary last year.

Before I could finish watching the three-minute vlog, my phone rang. It was Jason.

"I'm so sorry, Shae. There's a lot going on over there that needs my attention. I really can't make it back. We'll celebrate our anniversary another time. It's not like we don't have plenty of it."

"Okay," I said, and put down the phone.

Outside the window, the once-lush trees were losing their leaves. Winter was almost here.

And Jason and I were almost out of time.

The clock struck midnight. I tore off the calendar page for the 18th. Twelve days left until I go home for the arranged marriage.

Five more days passed. Jason and Piper's location stayed overseas. There was no sign of him coming back.

With five days left on the countdown, Jason posted on social media. His location was the local airport back in town.

I had already packed up my things, ready to catch my flight in five days.

Four days left. I went out to throw away some things I didn't want to keep.

Out of nowhere, someone grabbed my ankle.

I looked down. It was Piper.

Her eyes were red. She looked like she had been crying for hours.

She clutched at me, her voice trembling. "Shae, you have everything. Just let me have Jason. He's been waiting for you to break up with him. His company is still growing. He can't afford any bad press.

"And besides... besides, we already have a child together."

The moment she pressed her hand to her stomach, I froze.

So. They even had a kid together.

'Jason. God. If that's how you felt, why didn't you just tell me sooner?'

I gave a bitter smile and pulled my arm free. "Go talk to the father of your child. That has nothing to do with me.

"But be careful. What happened to me will happen to you.

"I helped him build his company. I was there when it went public. And he still betrayed me. You think a baby is going to keep him in line?"

Then I turned and walked away, leaving Piper crying behind me.

When I got home, I stood quietly and looked around at everything.

Every plant, every piece of furniture — I had chosen it all. I had wanted so badly to build a home with Jason. And now I hated every bit of it.

I was ripping the last plant out by the roots and throwing it in the trash when my mom called.

"Shae, I booked your ticket! Three more days and you'll meet your fiancé!"

"I know, Mom." I was tired. My voice came out soft and thin.

She sounded worried. "Did Jason do something to you again?"

"No," I lied.

He hadn't done anything. He wasn't even here.

"Sweetheart, Jason was never good enough for you. When you come home, I'll pull our funding. He'll lose everything — the money and you."

I laughed through the tears starting to form. "Okay."

Three days left.

…

Back when Jason was starting his company, my mom gave him his first investment.

He got down on his knees in front of her and swore that if he ever treated me badly, he would die a horrible death.

And for a while, he did treat me well.

But that was before he made it.

Maybe I was just tired from scrubbing every trace of myself out of that house. I fell asleep on the couch. In my dream, I was back in college, the day we first met.

But when I woke up, I was alone in that big, empty house.

I checked the clock. Six in the morning.

My flight was tomorrow, first thing. I needed to leave around six.

That meant I had twenty-four hours left before saying goodbye to Jason for good. But he still hadn't come home.

Ever since he got back from that trip, he hadn't spent a single night here.

I decided I might as well just call him and break up over the phone.

"Shae? What's up?"

Jason was actually awake early for once. That was rare.

I opened my mouth to speak — then heard someone else in the background.

"Back again to buy breakfast for your girlfriend? Now that's a good man."

Fresh breakfast, straight out of the kitchen at six in the morning. Something he had never once done for me.

I couldn't make out the rest of the conversation. The line went dead. He hung up first.

A few minutes later, a text came through: [Sorry, I was in a meeting. I'll be home this afternoon.]