Laura turned, her heart clenching at the sight of him. “Thave to,” she whispered.
Ryan nodded, sitting up. “I know. I just… I wish things could be different.”
“Me too,” Laura admitted, her voice thick with unshed tears.
They stood in silence for a moment, the weight of unspoken words hanging between them. Finally, Ryan crossed the room, pulling Laura into a fierce embrace
“This isn’t goodbye,” he murmured into her hair. “Not really. We’ll see each other again.”
Laura wanted to believe him, wanted to promise that she’d come back. But she knew better than to make promises she couldn’t keep Instead, she pulled back slightly, meeting his gaze
“Thank you,” she said softly. “For everything. These past few days… they’ve meant more to me than you know.”
Ryan’s response was to kiss her, pouring all his emotions into that final embrace. When they finally broke apart, both were breathing heavily.
“Your car’s downstairs,” Ryan said, his voice rough “They finished the repairs yesterday.”
Laura nodded, unable to speak past the lump in her throat. She shouldered her bag, taking one last look around the penthouse that had been her sanctuary for the past few days.”
As she reached the door, Ryan called out, “Laura?”
She turned, her hand on the doorknob.
“Whatever happens… just be happy, okay? That’s all I want for you.”
Laura managed a watery smile. “You too, Ryan Be happy ”
With that, she slipped out the door, forcing herself not to look back If she did, she wasn’t sure she’d have the strength to leave.
The drive back to Stamford felt both interminable and far too short. With each mile that passed, Laura felt the weight of reality settling back onto her shoulders. The carefree days with Ryan faded like a dream, leaving her to face the harsh light of day.
As she pulled into her driveway, Laura took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. She had no idea what to expect. Would Leon even be home? Would he be angry, relieved, indifferent?
The house looked exactly as she’d left it, a fact that struck her as oddly surreal. How could everything look the same when she felt so fundamentally changed?
Laura fumbled with her keys, her hands shaking slightly as she unlocked the front door. As she stepped inside, the silence of the house pressed in on her. Then, from the living room, she heard the murmur of voices and the flicker of the TV.
Relief washed over her. At least Leon was home. They could talk, figure things out. Maybe there was still hope for them after all.
But as she rounded the corner into the living room, the scene that greeted her stopped her cold. Leon was indeed there, sprawled comfortably on the couch. But he wasn’t alone. Curled up against him, looking for all the world like she belonged there, was Vanessa
the woman from the restaurant.
For a moment, Laura couldn’t breathe. The casual intimacy of the scene, the way they fit together so naturally, struck her like a physical blow. This wasn’t a fleeting indiscretion. This was a relationship,
Leon noticed her first, his eyes widening in surprise. “Laura,” he said, sitting up straighter. “You’re back”
Vanessa’s head whipped around, her expression a mix of guilt and defiance. She made no move to extricate herself from Leon’s
embrace
“What the fuck is this?” Laura found herself saying, her voice sounding strange and distant to her own ears.
Leon had the grace to look uncomfortable, but there was a hardness in his eyes that Laura had never seen before. “I think it’s pretty obvious, don’t you?”
The casual cruelty of his words hit Laura like a slap. “Obvious?” she repeated, her voice rising “What’s obvious is that you’ve brought
CHAPTER TEN–YOLIVE BEEN SERVED
your… your mistress into our home. Into our living room. How dare you?”
Leon scoffed, standing up. Vanessa remained on the couch, watching the exchange with wary eyes. “Our home?” Leon said. “Laura, you left. You ran away without a word. For all I knew, you weren’t coming back
“So that makes it okay to move your girlfriend in? Laura shot back, anger rising to replace her initial shock. “We’re still married, Leon. Or have you conveniently forgotten that?”
A cold smile played at the corners of Leon’s mouth. “About that,” he said, his tone eerily calm. “I think it’s time we made this separation official, don’t you? I want a divorce.”
The word hung in the air between them, heavy and final. Laura felt if the floor had dropped out from under her. She’d known, deep down, that her marriage was over. But hearing Leon say it so casually, with Vanessa sitting right there, made it horribly real.
“A divorce,” she repeated numbly.
Leon nodded. “It’s for the best, Laura. We both know this hasn’t been working for a long time. Why prolong the inevitable?”
Laura wanted to scream, to rage at him for throwing away their years together so easily. But a part of her knew he was right. Their marriage had been dying a slow death for years. Maybe this was a mercy killing.
“Fine,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “If that’s what you want.”
“It is,” Leon replied, his tone softening slightly. “And Laura?1 think it would be best if you moved out. I know the house is in both our names, but…”
“But you want to play house with your new girlfriend,” Laura finished for him, bitterness seeping into her voice. “Don’t worry, 1 wouldn’t dream of cramping your style”
She turned on her beel, heading for the stairs. Behind her, she heard Vanessa’s tentative voice “Leon, maybe we should go…”
“No,” Leon’s firm reply came. “This is my house too. We’re not going anywhere.”
Laura’s hands shook as she threw clothes haphazardly into a suitcase. Tears blurred her vision, but she refused to let them fall. She wouldn’t give Leon the satisfaction of seeing her break down.
As she zipped up the suitcase, her eyes fell on a framed photo on the dresser. It was from their wedding day, both of them beaming at the camera, full of hope for the future. With a sudden, violent motion, Laura swept the frame off the dresser. It hit the floor with a satisfying crash, glass shattering across the hardwood.
Downstairs, she heard Leon call out, “Everything okay up there?”
Laura didn’t bother to respond. She grabbed her suitcase and the box of personal items she’d hastily packed, then made her way back
downstairs.
Leon and Vanessa were standing now, watching her warily as she approached the front door. Laura paused, turning to face her soon–to -be ex–husband one last time,
“I hope she’s worth it,” she said quietly. “I really do.”
Without waiting for a response, she walked out, slamming the door behind her with finality.
As she threw her belongings into the car, Laura felt a strange sense of déjà vu Hadn’t she just done this a few days ago, fleeing to New York? But this time was different. This time, there was no going back.
#Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is uning Out!
CHAPTER ELEVEN–A Head Exchange
“Rise and shine, sis! We’re going out for breakfast.”
Laura groaned, burying her face in the pillow. But Jen was persistent, and soon enough, Laura found herself at a local diner, a plate of pancakes growing cold in front of her.
“You need to eat,” Jen urged, watching Laura push food around her plate.
Laura sighed. “I’m just not hungry.”
Jen’s eyes softened. “I know it’s hard, but you can’t let him destroy you like this. You need your strength.”
Laura managed a few bites, more to appease her sister than out of any real appetite. As they finished, Jen’s eyes lit up with any idea.
“You know what you need? A spa day. Some serious pampering”
Before Laura could protest, Jen was already making calls. An hour later, they were stepping into a luxurious day spa, the air heavy with the scent of lavender and eucalyptus.
“Welcome to Serenity Springs,” a receptionist greeted them with a serene smile. “Your massages are scheduled first. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to the changing rooms.”
Laura hesitated. “Jen, I don’t know about this…”
“Trust me,” Jen insisted, gently pushing her sister forward. “You’ll feel like a new woman when we’re done.”
