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The Heartbeat at 6:20

The Heartbeat at 6:20

Short Story · Romance
By:  Sugar CookieCompleted
Language: English
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9Chapters
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Synopsis

Marriage

Bias

Cheating

Tragic Love

Plot Twists

Unattainable Love

Scumbag

My husband, Graham Hale, was known in our circle for being almost impossible to rattle. In three years of marriage, nothing ever seemed to get much of a reaction out of him. When his company went public, all he said was, "Got it." When his father was in critical condition, Graham spent the entire night outside the operating room without ever looking shaken. Even the day I miscarried, he held me while I was still bleeding and calmly wiped away my tears. "Don't cry. We can have another." I always thought he just wasn't wired for strong emotions. Then one day, I happened to check his smartwatch. Over the past two weeks, it had recorded six unusual spikes in his heart rate. Every single one happened around 6:20 a.m. What could make a man who never lost his composure suddenly have a heart rate over 130? I got my answer two weeks after my older sister, Celeste Whitmore, came home following her divorce. One day, as I passed Graham's home office, I heard his mother ask, "After all these years, you still can't get over Celeste?" Graham was silent for a long moment before answering. "Yeah. I've had feelings for her since I first saw her in high school." His father sighed. "Then why did you marry her sister?" Graham looked down and slowly turned his wedding ring around his finger. His voice was as calm as if he were discussing a business deal. "The Whitmores were on the verge of losing everything back then. "It didn't matter who I married. Marrying Dawn at least gave me a legitimate reason to put money into Whitmore Group. "That way, the Carvers wouldn't look down on Celeste." I stood outside the door, thinking about those six heart-rate spikes. Celeste went out for her morning run at around 6:20 every day. So Graham's heart could race after all. Just never for me. And in that moment, my own heart finally went still.

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9 Chapters
Chapter 1
Inside the home office, my mother-in-law, Margaret Hale, asked again, "What about Dawn? She just lost the baby."Graham was silent for a long time.Finally, he said, "I'll make it up to her."Margaret sighed. "Making it up to her isn't the same as loving her."Graham's voice remained calm."All she wants is to be Mrs. Hale."I braced a hand against the wall as my fingertips slowly turned cold.So that was what he thought of the past three years.In his eyes, everything I'd held on to for the past three years had been nothing more than me chasing the title of Mrs. Hale.I didn't storm in. I simply turned around and went back to the bedroom.The paperwork from my follow-up appointment that morning was still on the nightstand.The doctor's note read: Patient is recovering poorly after miscarriage. Recommend having a family member present and avoiding emotional stress.Graham didn't know.That day, he'd gone apartment hunting with Celeste.It was eleven that night when he came home.He fro
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Chapter 2
Ten minutes later, Celeste posted a photo on social media.In the photo, she was sitting in Graham's car, holding a cup of warm milk.Graham was behind the wheel, calm as ever, his wedding ring clearly visible.The caption read:[Some people don't say "I love you," but they always show up.]I liked it.Three minutes later, she deleted it and sent me a message.Celeste: [Dawn, don't get the wrong idea. I just got back, and I didn't have anyone else I could ask for help.]Me: [I didn't.]Me: [You've never been short on people who care about you.]She kept typing for a long time.I didn't reply again.Graham came home after midnight.He smelled faintly of gardenias and sweet milk.I placed the divorce papers on the coffee table."Sign them."Graham glanced down at them.His expression barely changed, as if I were just being unreasonable again."Dawn, you've been making a fuss all night."He put the papers back down."If you want me to make you feel better, you don't have to threaten me wi
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Chapter 3
I stood up."You all keep eating."My father slammed his palm on the table."If you walk out that door today, don't bother coming back!"I looked back at him."Fine."My mother froze."Dawn, don't say things you don't mean.""I mean it."I walked out of the Whitmore house.Not one person came after me.By the time I got downstairs, my phone buzzed.It was a message from my mother.Mom: [Your sister cried so hard her stomach hurts. Come back and apologize to her.]I stared at the message for a long time, then laughed.After that, I changed her contact name from Mom to Mrs. Whitmore.I looked back at the brightly lit house.All I wanted was to go somewhere no one would tell me to apologize.I was still looking for the red braided bracelet when Margaret called from the Hale family estate.I'd braided it myself for my baby while I was pregnant.It was a thin red braided bracelet with one crooked little knot.The baby moved for the first time while I was making it, and my hand trembled.Whe
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Chapter 4
Before I left for good, I went back to the Whitmore house.Not to say goodbye.I was there to get my personal documents.When my mother opened the door, the first thing she did was look over my shoulder."Graham didn't come with you?""I came alone."I walked past her toward the home office."I need my documents."My father was drinking tea. He looked up."What do you need them for?""Divorce."His teacup hit the desk with a sharp clink."Don't be ridiculous!"He pulled a file from the drawer and tossed it in front of me."Read this before you make any more of a scene."I looked down.It was an investment agreement from three years ago.The date on it was seven days before my wedding.Hale Group had invested $5 million in Whitmore Group.As long as Graham Hale and Dawn Whitmore remained married, Whitmore Group would continue receiving financial backing from Hale Group and receive priority consideration for future partnerships.The final page bore my father's signature.My mother's.And
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Chapter 5
The elevator doors slid shut.I didn't look back.A black SUV was parked downstairs.Wyatt Reed was leaning against it. When he saw me dragging my suitcase toward him, he didn't ask a single question.He took the suitcase from me and opened the trunk."The cottage in South Lakecrest is empty. You can stay there for now.""I'll still pay rent."He laughed."Down on your luck and still insisting on paying rent. You've got standards, Boss."I shot him a look."Do you ever say anything nice?""Sure."He handed me a hot latte."Drink this. You're pale as a sheet."As we drove out of the neighborhood, Graham called.I declined the call.Then came a second.A third.I turned off my phone.For the first time, the city no longer felt like a cage.-Meanwhile, Graham stood alone in the empty bedroom.Half the closet had been cleared out.All the jewelry he'd bought Dawn was still on the vanity.Dawn's wedding ring lay on the nightstand.Beside it was the paperwork from her follow-up appointment.
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Chapter 6
The cottage in South Lakecrest was tucked away down a quiet lane in one of the older neighborhoods.It had brick walls, a wooden gate, and a pomegranate tree in the courtyard.The place was old, but peaceful.Wyatt placed the key in my hand."It's an old house, so the pipes act up sometimes. If that bothers you, you can still back out.""Do I get my deposit back?""Nope."I laughed."Then I'm staying."He grinned."All right, Boss. Welcome to Shabby Cottage No. 1."The next day, I went to the artisan market to buy fabric and thread.I'd learned embroidery and natural dyeing years ago.After I got married, Graham said those things were hard on my eyes and didn't make any money.So I gave them up.When I picked up a needle again, I felt rusty.When I pricked my finger, I stared at the tiny bead of blood for a moment, then kept sewing.This time, at least, I was doing something for myself, even if it hurt.Wyatt helped me photograph my first batch of finished pieces.He kept giving me a h
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Chapter 7
When Graham returned to the Whitmore house, he brought the investment agreement from three years ago.For the past three years, he'd always called it "helping the Whitmores out."It wasn't until Dawn walked out with her suitcase that he finally saw it for what it was.It hadn't been help.He'd used $5 million to secure Celeste's standing with the Carvers, and Dawn's marriage had been the price.Richard stood up the moment Graham walked in."Graham, you're just in time. Dawn thinks she can do whatever she wants now. She's even turned her back on her own family."Don't give in to her. She's always responded better to kindness than pressure."Graham placed the agreement on the table.Richard's expression changed."What's this supposed to mean?"Graham's voice was cold."I signed that agreement."I wired the money."And I was the one who asked Dawn to marry me."Elaine's eyes reddened."Graham, there's no point dragging up the past. Dawn's just upset right now. Once she calms down...""She
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Chapter 8
The day our divorce was finalized, rain poured from the sky.Graham sat across from me.He'd lost a lot of weight, and dark circles shadowed his eyes.At the final hearing, the judge asked whether we both wished to proceed under the terms of the settlement."Yes," I said.Graham looked at me.He stared for so long that the judge had to ask him again.Only then did he say quietly, "Yes."When that one word finally left his mouth, my chest didn't ache.It felt more like finally taking off an old coat soaked through with rain.After everything was finalized, Wyatt was waiting at the bottom of the courthouse steps with an umbrella.Graham followed me outside."Dawn."I stopped.He took out a ring box.Inside was my wedding ring.Engraved on the inside of the band were the words: Graham & Dawn, All Our Days.When I'd first seen those words, I'd been so happy I couldn't sleep all night."Throw it away."Graham's fingers trembled."It's our wedding ring.""No, it isn't."I looked at him."Fro
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Chapter 9
A year later, Dawnlight Studio opened its second location.The new shop stood at the far end of the historic shopping district.A row of wind chimes hung by the entrance, chiming whenever the breeze passed through.On opening day, Wyatt was so busy he ended up leaning against the counter, catching his breath.I handed him a glass of water."Thanks for all your hard work, Landlord."He took it and raised an eyebrow."Just the landlord?"I looked down and started going through the books."And my business partner.""That's it?"I pretended not to hear him.He laughed but didn't push.By evening, the last of the customers had left.I spotted Graham outside the shop.He stood beneath a streetlight, his wrist bare.The smartwatch was gone.Compared to a year ago, he'd grown much thinner and quieter.That distant, above-it-all air he'd once carried was gone too.He didn't come any closer. He simply stood a few steps away."I'm leaving for North Lakecrest tomorrow."I nodded."Hope it goes wel
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