Chapter 27
Abigail
The park was as loud as a zoo, with the sounds of children running around playing with each other, and the chatter of other adults.
+25 BONUS
Roxy and I sat side by side on the park bench, our feet brushing the mulch under us as I told her about the fight Conrad and I had gotten into after coming back from the hospital. I knew the question that was coming before she even opened her mouth.
“So?” she asked, her voice breathless as she listened. “What happened next? After you slapped him?”
The memory flashed through my mind–the anger, the unbelievable accusation Conrad had hit me with, the sharp sting of my palm against his face. I stared down at the mulch beneath my feet, scuffing it with the tip of my
shoe.” I packed my bags,” I said finally, “And I left.”
“I went back to the company apartment you took me to when I first left the house,” I explained. “It’s small, but it’s enough. At least there, I don’t have to deal with…” I trailed off, biting back the words that threatened to spill out.
I could feel Roxy’s eyes on me, sharp with curiosity. I wasn’t surprised when she pressed, “What are you going to do next?”
I sighed, tipping my head back to look at the sky. “I figure there might be a property settlement before the divorce,” I added, making my tone practical. “I need to contact Alexander to confirm whether the 10% shares he’s planning to give me will count as marital property.”
The words came out matter–of–fact, as though I were talking about a mundane business deal and not the slow way my marriage was breaking apart. But that was how it felt now. Detached. It felt as if our love had run away a long time ago.
Roxy’s lips parted in surprise at the word ‘divorce‘, but she didn’t speak right away. I could tell she was holding back, afraid of pushing too hard, but her silence was almost louder than any words she could have said. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye and saw the questions dancing in her expression. And I couldn’t blame her. I would be burning with curiosity too.
“This is just between us,” I said softly, turning to face her fully. “But yes, I’m divorcing Conrad. And no, I don’t want to talk about why.” The truth was a tangled, messy thing, full of names and faces and memories I’d rather not remember right now.
‘Divorce…” Roxy hesitated, as if she was afraid to say the word. “I can’t believe it. You’re really going through with it?”
I met her gaze, my expression calm. “Yes,” I said simply. am.”
Η
Roxy’s brows furrowed, but she didn’t push. Instead, she reached out, her fingers curling around mine. “Olay,” she said quietly. “You don’t have to tell me why. But Abigail, whatever you decide, I’m here for you.”
Her simple words brought a lump to my throat. I appreciated her restraint more than I could say, espe could still feel her curiosity buzzing in the air between us. My gaze dropped to the ground, where the shoe traced absent patterns in the dirt.
“ly since I
My decision to not tell Roxy the reason why I was leaving Conrad was something I was going to stand by, even though I knew she desperately wanted me to. I wasn’t ready to say the words aloud. Partly because I didn’t see the point. I wasn’t ready to tell her about Susanna and about the endless cycle of broken promises from Conrad. I wasn’t ready to admit how deeply it hurt, even now.
Chapter 27
My other reason was because of Alexander and Marceline. They had been so good to me, and they didn’t deserve to have their names dragged into this.
“I mean it, Abigail,” Roxy said, as she shifted closer to me. Her fingers were as warm as her smile. “I don’t care what the reason is,”
I squeezed her hand back, the corners of my mouth lifting in a small grin. “Thank you,” I said quietly.
The sharp chime of my phone alarm startled the both of us, its insistent tone cutting through the noise of the park. I glanced at the screen and sighed, swiping to silence. “That’s my lunch break over,” I muttered, standing up and brushing invisible dirt off my skirt. “I have to get back before someone notices I’m late.”
Roxy didn’t move. She stayed on the bench, lazily swinging her legs.
“Come on, Roxy,” I said, packing my bag. “Aren’t you heading back to the office?”
She gave me that mischievous grin of hers, one that made her eyes light up in that way that always made me suspicious. “Oh, I called in sick this morning.”
I paused, my bag half–zipped, blinking at her in confusion. What? You’re not sick.”
“The company doesn’t know that,” she said, shrugging nonchalantly.
Despite myself, I laughed, shaking my head. “Roxy…”
“What?” she asked, giving me the fakest cough I had ever heard.
“You’re terrible.”
“1 prefer resourceful,” she replied, leaning back with a satisfied smile.
“Well, enjoy your day off then,” I said, slinging my bag over my shoulder. “I can’t afford to be late. See you later, Roxy.”
“Good luck, Abigail,” she called after me, her voice teasing but light.
I waved without turning back, my heels clicking against the pavement as I hurried away. The closer I got to the office, the more my thoughts shifted from Roxy’s antics to the anxiety that came with being late. I mentally rehearsed an excuse, although I doubted anyone would ask. In a place like this, people noticed everything but rarely cared enough to comment.
But being late was the last thing I needed. It didn’t matter how messy my personal life was–at work, I had to be perfect.
As I pushed through the revolving doors of the building, I was already thinking about the tasks waiting for me at my desk. But as I turned the corner into the lobby, the sight that greeted me made me stop in my tracks.
It was Susanna and Liliana, standing together near the reception desk like they owned the place. The sight of them in the company building–my space–made my stomach twist with irritation. First, they came for my home, and now they were here in the company?
They had no reason to show up–not unless they were up to something.
Susanna caught sight of me first and her expression darkened. In an instant, she was storming toward me. Liliana trailed behind her, a smug smile playing on her lips.
“Abigail,” Susanna snapped, “What did you do yesterday to make Conrad so angry?”
I held my ground, meeting her glare with a calmness I didn’t entirely feel. “What are you talking about?” I asked,
+25 BONUS
Chapter 27
my tone clipped,
“Don’t play dumb,” she hissed, her voice rising. “He was furious yesterday. Did you really cheat on him?”
Liliana chimed in like the foot soldier she was. “And since you’re divorcing him, shouldn’t you return the shares he gave you? It’s only fair.”
I turned to her, raising an eyebrow. “If you know about my supposed cheating, then you should know the answer to that,” I said, letting the sarcasm drip from my words. Then I turned back to Susanna, adding, “Better yet, Susanna, why don’t you ask Conrad? You’re practically his wife anyway.”
Susanna’s face flushed with anger, and I almost smiled at the satisfaction that bloomed in my chest.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said, her tone indignant, but she didn’t deny it. Instead, she stepped closer, her voice dropping into a furious whisper. “This isn’t about me. This is about you and the mess you’ve made.”
I sighed and turned away, refusing to engage any further. There was no point. But Susanna wasn’t done. She chased after me, her voice rising again as she bombarded me with questions and accusations.
“Abigail!” she called as I increased my pace. “Don’t walk away from me!”
I turned a corner sharply, hoping to lose her in the corridors of the company I knew she would be unfamiliar with. But just as I passed an empty hallway, a hand clamped over my mouth. My scream died in my throat as I was yanked backward, my heart pounding in panic.
The last thing I saw before the world went dark was Susanna, standing frozen in the hallway, her eyes wide with shock.
