Chapter 1

Tonight was our daughter Joyce's fourth birthday. Alex had promised three days ago that he'd be home early for dinner this time and swore he wouldn't miss it again.

To celebrate Joyce's birthday, I'd made roasted veal, a favorite of both hers and Alex's. I'd even texted him earlier to remind him.

But Joyce sat in front of the roasted veal waiting from six o'clock all the way to ten-thirty, and my Alpha mate still hadn't come home. Joyce was too hungry to hold out anymore, and it was way past her bedtime.

Worried, I video-called Alex and saw that he still seemed to be at some hotel entertaining clients, women's laughter mixed into the background. Before I could make anything out, Alex rushed out, "I'm not done here yet. Eat and get to bed early." Then he hung up.

I stared at the black screen of my phone, thinking about that number only I could see. 72%.

Last week it had been 76%.

Joyce tugged at my sleeve. "Mommy, Daddy's not coming home again, is he?"

"Daddy's busy with work."

I ate with Joyce, gave her a bath, and tucked her in.

After she lay down, Joyce said, "Mommy, I don't want a birthday next year. That way Daddy won't have to lie to me."

It felt like someone had reached into my chest and squeezed hard. I turned off the light in Joyce's room and sat down in the living room.

It was almost midnight when Alex finally came home, reeking of alcohol, his tie loose, his shirt buttons undone.

I checked the number above his head first. 72% hadn't changed yet.

"Joyce asleep?"

"Yeah."

"Good." He didn't look like he had any intention of explaining, sidestepping me and heading straight for the bedroom.

I called his name. "Alex."

He stopped but didn't turn to look at me.

So I went on. "There's a lipstick mark on your collar."

Alex glanced down, tugged at his collar, and said dismissively, "Probably bumped into someone while I was out entertaining clients. Don't get all paranoid."

Alex had been this dismissive for a while now. I said nothing.

When he didn't get an answer, Alex turned around and frowned at me. "Irene, it's exhausting out there every day doing business. Please show me a little respect and be more understanding instead of picking fights over nothing, okay?"

I looked into his impatient eyes and asked him, "Do you even remember what day it is? Joyce waited five hours for you today. You promised her three days ago. Do you remember?"

Alex froze for a second, then pulled his phone out of his pocket, glanced at the note, and seemed a little caught off guard. "I really did have something today. I'll get Joyce a gift tomorrow. She's not gonna hold it against me."

So he'd even forgotten what day it was.

The 72% hovered above his head like a countdown.

I suddenly thought of that afternoon when I was little, the number above my mom's head dropping from 69% to 23% in an instant. No matter how my dad called after her, she never looked back. She just grabbed her suitcase and walked out on us.

That image had been burned into my memory ever since.

I'd thought Alex would be the one to break the cycle. But now it looked like there was no future for us.

I think it's time to start planning my exit again.