All Chapters of The Five-Year Dream: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Sean started the car.His phone lay on the center console.The screen lit up.It was a text from Monique.[Sean, come over after your performance tomorrow. I have a reward for you!]He scrambled to dismiss the notification.“A client…”I nodded.“Your client certainly knows how to reward you.”The color drained from Sean’s face.Silence settled over the car.When we reached our apartment complex, he did not get out right away.He kept one hand on the steering wheel and tapped his fingers against it twice.Five years ago, he told me his company had gone bankrupt.Two years ago, he said his creditors had come knocking.A year ago, he promised to repay every cent from the sale of my parents’ home.Presently, he said, “Zoe, if something unexpected comes up tomorrow, please don’t overthink it.”“Sean…”His Adam’s apple bobbed.“Yeah?”“If you ever stop loving me, will you just tell me honestly?”He pulled me into his arms and rested his chin on my shoulder.“Don’t talk

I slapped her hard.“Zoe, have you lost your mind?”Sean rushed over and shoved me hard.My lower back slammed into the corner of a table. The pain stole my breath. For a long moment, I remained doubled over.Concern flickered in Sean’s eyes, but when he saw the red mark on Monique’s cheek, his face hardened.“Monique only came here with good intentions to talk to you. What gives you the right to hit her?”Monique leaned against his chest. Tears welled up in her eyes on cue. She continued to sob as she said, “This is all my fault! I shouldn’t have come! Let me go, Sean. I can raise the baby on my own. Please don’t ruin what you have with Zoe because of me.”I looked up and stared at Monique’s stomach in disbelief. “You’re pregnant?”Sean looked just as stunned.Monique nuzzled deeper into his chest and sobbed even harder. “Sean, the doctor said I’m two months along. The baby is perfectly healthy.”I watched Sean’s expression soften instantly. I remembered I had lain on the ho

I returned to the apartment my parents were renting.Mom opened the door and froze when she saw me.“Are you and Sean married?”I pulled up the recording on my tablet and played it for them from beginning to end.By the end of the recording, Mom’s face had turned pale. She gripped the edge of the table for support.Dad snatched up the remote and hurled it to the floor.“That trash!”Mom looked at me. “Zoe, when you lost the baby, was he already cheating on you?”I did not answer. My silence was the answer.Dad turned and went into the bedroom.He returned with a wooden box. Inside was a promissory note written by Sean.It was dated the day my parents sold their house.I stared at it. “You made him sign a promissory note?”Dad handed me the paper. “He refused at first. I told him matters of money should be clear, even among family. He accused me of not trusting him. Your mother cried, but I made him sign it anyway.”Sean’s handwriting was steady and precise.[I hereby ack

“He’s still young.”I offered a bitter smile. “My baby was even younger.”Sean went pale and finally lowered his head. “Zoe, I’m sorry for what I put you through when you lost the baby.”I looked at the watch on his wrist.“Take it off.”He stared at me.“What?”“The watch.”He unfastened it and placed it on the table.I picked it up. Two initials were engraved on the back.SZ.He had told me they stood for Sean and Zoe.In a screenshot from Monique’s livestream, I had seen a conversation between them about that same watch.Monique had asked, “Why do you still wear the watch she gave you?”Sean had said, “Because if I stop wearing it, she’ll get suspicious. Let her keep believing it still means something to me.”I slid the watch toward Jonah. “This corroborates the messages. Monique knew he was deceiving me and helped him keep up the act.”Sean looked up sharply. “You saw those messages too?”Monique’s attorney suddenly said, “Mr. Loker, Ms. Baum has submitted a statem

A month later, Monique called into Jonah’s livestream too.She used a different account, but I recognized her voice the moment she spoke.Sobbing, she asked, “Mr. Lutz, if a man tricked me into becoming the other woman and then tried to pin everything on me, can I sue him?”Jonah’s tone remained neutral. “Tell me what happened.”“I didn’t know he was still with his fiancee,” Monique said through tears.The comments immediately began rolling in.[That voice sounds familiar.][Isn’t that “the Voice of Reason?”][You’re back again?]Monique panicked. “I’m not the person you think I am.”Then, she ended the call.Not long afterward, Sean’s company issued an official statement.Sean had stepped down from his management position.Andrew’s studio was suspended for rectification.The day the second payment came through, I took my parents out for beef fondue.My mother placed a piece of beef on my plate. “Eat.”Dad placed his card in front of me. “Take this money.”I pushed it