Chapter 2

"Hey! Rylan, what are you doing? Don't kill someone over this—"

The sound of a bottle shattering and men shouting faded behind me as I ran.

By the time I stumbled into the elevator, my strength gave out. I leaned heavily against the wall before the tears came fast and uncontrollably.

We'd been married three years. I'd long known Rylan had women everywhere. He'd never been pleased about fulfilling the Shaw-Keller family's marriage arrangement in the first place.

Before the wedding, the woman he truly loved—Sloane Miller—had died in a diving accident. He believed it was my fault, or at least the Keller family's doing, so he'd hated me ever since.

After the wedding, he vanished without a trace. Three months later, he returned with another woman in his arms.

Over the next two years, I lost count of how many girlfriends he cycled through. Almost all of them resembled Sloane in some way. But this was the first time he brought home the young woman from earlier—Nora Vance.

That night, when I returned from the hospital, the housekeepers gave me strange looks. It wasn't until I went upstairs and opened the bedroom door that I saw Rylan sprawled across our marital bed.

Nora sat beside him, dutifully feeding him water.

When she saw me, she nearly jumped up in panic. "Mrs. Shaw! Mr. Shaw is drunk—"

I stood in the doorway and waved her off. "Take care of him."

"That wouldn't do. You're his wife, so you should be the one—"

"It's fine. He likes you. He'll be happier if you're the one looking after him." I smiled and turned to leave.

"Maeve!" Rylan suddenly called, stopping me.

With one arm around Nora, he narrowed his eyes at me. "Why are you leaving? You should learn a thing or two from her about how to please your man. Don't just stand there like a block of wood. You don't even know how to open your mouth when we kiss—"

He didn't finish. The crash of a shattered photo frame cut him off. I'd smashed our wedding photo, now lying in pieces on the floor.

Expressionlessly, I looked up at him. "Is there anything else you'd like to say?"

He pushed Nora aside and slowly sat up. "Think carefully about what you're doing right now, Maeve."

I curved my lips into a small smile as I pulled out the divorce papers I'd prepared and handed them to him. "Sign it, Rylan. Let's get a divorce so I can step aside for her."

"Playing the part too far means you don't know when to stop," he hissed.

"Just let me know once you've signed." Without sparing him another glance, I turned and headed downstairs.

As I stepped through the front door, Rylan stood at the top of the stairs, his cold, condescending gaze fixed on me. "Walk away if you want, but don't think you can come back as easily."

I didn't look back or answer.

Dragging my suitcase behind me, I stepped out into the dark, heavy night.

…

Eventon's early winter was bitterly cold. I pulled my coat tighter, brought a small bottle of wine from a convenience store, and devoured a large burger at a street stall.

Almost all my money had been deposited into the hospital account. After scraping everything together, I had only 300 dollars left.

I needed to settle down at a cheap motel before freezing to death on the streets.

Just as I was searching for budget motels on my phone, a man's voice sounded beside me. "Mind if I share your table?"

I didn't look up. "Go ahead."

He sat beside me, and from the corner of my eye, I noticed the expensive fabric and fine cut of his coat.

Surprised, I glanced up at him, only to find him openly watching me.

I frowned, but Jonah Archer's stare only grew bolder.

"It's midnight, Ms. Keller. You're all dressed up and drinking alone. Aren't you worried someone might take an interest?"

"Eventon's pretty safe, so don't worry about it." I pocketed my phone, stood, and grabbed my suitcase, ready to leave.

He followed. "Where are you headed this late? The motels you were looking at are too cheap and unsafe. Shall I book you a proper hotel instead?"

I didn't respond and walked faster, pulling my suitcase along.

"Hey, careful! Watch the cars!"

When a car sped past, he yanked my wrist and dragged me closer to him.