Chapter 3

That afternoon, Rachel came to take photographs.

Sophie came out of the primary bedroom, and her expression changed at once.

"Natalie, are you selling the condo?"

I closed my laptop. "Yes."

She hurried to call Marcus.

He arrived less than half an hour later.

He pushed open the door, his face dark.

"Natalie, are you finished with this tantrum?"

Rachel stood awkwardly in the living room.

I handed her a copy of the deed. "Keep taking pictures."

Marcus slapped his hand over the document.

"This is our future home!"

I looked up at him.

"My name is the only one on the deed."

He had no answer.

Standing behind him, Sophie said softly, "Is this because of me? I'll move out right now. Natalie, please don't sell the condo."

As expected, Marcus turned around to comfort her.

"This isn't your fault."

Watching them, I felt the last of my emotion disappear.

That evening, Marcus and I had been scheduled to tour a wedding venue.

I'd reserved the appointment a month earlier.

Marcus had said he wanted a small, intimate wedding.

I'd believed him.

At five that afternoon, I received a message from him.

[Can we reschedule tonight? Sophie's ex is causing trouble, and she's afraid to go to the police station alone.]

I stared at the message. The wedding-planning worksheet was still beside my hand.

It listed the number of guests from each family, our budget, backup hotels, and the navy welcome sign he liked.

I sent back a single word.

[Okay.]

In the past, I would have asked questions, felt hurt, and waited for him to come home and explain.

Not anymore. I took a cab directly to the police station.

I wasn't going there to catch him doing anything.

If Kyle truly posed a threat, then my condo's address, building access, and smart lock were all involved.

As the owner, I at least deserved to know how serious the situation was.

Outside the police station, Sophie sat on a bench with Marcus's coat draped over her shoulders.

Marcus crouched before her and patiently tied her shoelace.

When she lowered her head and cried, he pulled tissues from his pocket and wiped away her tears.

Even the officer beside them said, "Ma'am, we've filed the report. Call us if anything else happens."

But Marcus insisted on staying with her until the attorney arrived.

Standing some distance away, I suddenly remembered my mother's fall the previous year.

I'd called Marcus and asked him to come to the hospital with me.

He'd said he couldn't leave a client and told me to be strong on my own.

So I'd handled registration, payment, and my mother's wheelchair alone.

When he came home that night, all he'd said was, "That must've been exhausting."

He wasn't incapable of staying beside someone. My problems simply weren't worth putting anything down for.

Marcus finally saw me. He stood, and panic flickered across his face.

"Natalie, why are you here?"

"I was nearby."

He frowned. "Don't misunderstand. Kyle really did harass her."

I nodded. "Okay."

Sophie hurried to say, "Natalie, I can explain..."

I cut her off. "There's no need."

Marcus seemed unprepared for how calm I was.

He stepped closer and lowered his voice.

"I'll tour the wedding venue with you tomorrow, all right? Don't pressure her right now."

Tomorrow again. Our life together could always wait until tomorrow.

Her problems were always urgent.

I looked at him. "Marcus, do you remember what we were supposed to see today?"

He paused.

"Of course I remember."

"Do you remember that my endoscopy results came back last week?"

His gaze froze. He didn't remember.

Sophie suddenly pressed a hand to her chest and began breathing rapidly.

Marcus immediately turned and supported her.

"Sophie, breathe slowly. Look at me."

I stood there feeling like an unnecessary spectator.

Several minutes later, Sophie's breathing settled.

Marcus looked back at me, apology in his eyes.

"Natalie, I'll take her home first. You can get home by yourself, right?"

He said the word "home" so naturally.

But that home still wouldn't leave its door open for me tonight.

I turned and walked away.

On the way, the wedding planner called to confirm our appointment.

I said, "Cancel everything."

"Ms. Foster, the deposit may be nonrefundable."

"That's fine."

After ending the call, I contacted Rachel again.

[You can begin showings tomorrow morning.]

She asked, [There are other occupants in the condo. Will that be a problem?]

I replied, [It will be cleared tonight.]

When I returned to the building, I didn't go upstairs.

I went to the management office and printed a smart-lock administration request.

While verifying my identity, the employee asked, "You're the owner. Why aren't you the primary account holder in the system?"

I said nothing, and she stopped awkwardly.

Holding the form, I scheduled a factory reset for the following morning.

Then I opened my banking app and submitted a request to pay off the home improvement loan early.

As I saved each digital receipt into a folder, I felt strangely calm.

Some doors, once closed, are no longer worth waiting for someone inside to open.