You Said Goodbye Right After Hello

Tamara woke up in an unfamiliar room. A sticky note was stuck to the nightstand."See you in two weeks at the pier."As the haze of alcohol wore off, her memories slowly returned.The man she'd met last night was none other than Marshall Ripley—the only person who could truly stand toe-to-toe with Braxton, and the only one capable of helping her disappear for good.When she grabbed her phone, it showed nearly 100 missed calls and messages, all from Braxton.…By the time Tamara arrived home, it was already evening.Braxton immediately ended the video conference he was in and hurried over to her."Tamara, where did you go? You never came back last night after you went to get some air. If you'd been gone any longer, I would've turned the whole city upside down trying to find you."His eyes were bloodshot, suggesting that he hadn't slept at all last night.The laptop on the table was still on, and the screensaver was a photo of Tamara on their wedding day. The first time Braxton

On the day of the interview, Braxton and Tamara wore matching outfits. They took their seats, with Braxton holding Tamara's hand the entire time.When the talk show host asked about details of their relationship, Braxton answered every question flawlessly. He even took time to adjust the cushion behind her back."From childhood sweethearts to walking down the aisle, and your relationship is still going as strong as ever—you're truly a model couple. I'm sure there will be even more happiness in your future—"Suddenly, a loud crash cut the host off mid-sentence, and everyone turned toward the noise.Annalise stood stiffly beside a collapsed flower stand, while her supervisor jabbed a finger at her and scolded her in a hushed, angry voice.Almost instantly, Braxton let go of Tamara's hand and strode over."You're fired," he snapped.His gaze was fixed on Annalise's red and swollen forearm, but his words were directed at the manager."When a subordinate makes a mistake, the supervi

When Tamara was discharged, Braxton held a celebratory banquet in their home. He invited a few nutritionists to prepare various dishes. Braxton placed a hand on her waist. "Everyone else will only be able to eat dishes you've approved and tried. If not, they're prohibited from even touching it. Then, choose the nutritionist you like." Braxton's gentleness no longer made her heart flutter. She allowed him to lead her into the hall. The second she stepped in, she became the center of attention. Annalise was pushed into a corner, but her eyes were boring holes into Tamara. Once, Annalise had been the center of attention at an event like this as well. How had she fallen from grace to the point of only being allowed to eat Tamara's leftovers? If looks could kill, Tamara would've been dead. One of the nutritionists brought out a new plate of desserts and placed it beside. Suddenly, a loud clink disrupted the peaceful atmosphere. Everyone turned around to see that a bite had been ta

On the third day Braxton was off on his business trip, Annalise began posting on social media. She uploaded pictures of herself in skimpy dresses on yachts, hiking photos with beautiful scenery, and clips of her eating at classy restaurants. Throughout everything she posted, one thing was constant—Braxton would always be in the corner of her pictures. In her newest posted picture, she had looped her hand through his. Half of Braxton's face had been captured. They could've passed as newlyweds. She captioned it, "Enjoying a paid holiday with my boss. Don't disturb me unless necessary." Tamara's thumb hovered over the post, and she ended up liking it by accident. Less than 3 seconds later, her phone buzzed. It was Braxton. "The weather forecast says there'll be a storm tonight. Close the doors and the windows. Don't be afraid if it thunders," said Braxton. Tamara could hear the sound of waves through the phone. Looking out, Tamara watched rain pelt the window. In the past, Bra

"In the trash?" Braxton's voice was hoarse. "Yes, Mr. Merrick. Her ring and her phone were in the trash." Edna put them on the table. Braxton picked her phone up. When he turned it on, the wallpaper made him want to look away. It was a picture of them on their honeymoon in Mardi. An unprecedented horror seized Braxton. He fidgeted with the ring. Tamara had only taken her ring off once before. It was the first winter after their wedding. Tamara had gone into the yard to build snowmen, and her ring slipped off while she was playing. Braxton had been in a meeting. When he got home, he was met with the sight of Tamara kneeling in the snow. Her fingers were red from the cold. He consoled, "Be a good girl and stop looking. It'll show up once the snow melts."Stubbornly, Tamara refused to head indoors and scoured the yard until three in the morning. Finally, she found her glimmering ring half buried in a heap of snow. That night, Tamara was stricken with a high fever, but she fol