Chapter 3

The other end of the line went dead silent.

"What photos?" he stammered.

"The old phone in the bottom desk drawer. The hidden photo vault."

"Forty-seven photos of you and Chloe between last November and this March. Twelve of them are timestamps of you two making out."

Heavy, ragged breathing came through the speaker.

"You went through my phone?"

"You left it in *my* desk drawer."

"Clara!" His voice rose in pitch. "Do you have any idea how out of line that is?"

"You having an affair isn't out of line, but me opening a drawer is?"

"I didn't have an affair! Those photos are—"

"Are what? Photoshopped? A bad camera angle? You two locking lips is just an optical illusion?"

Silence.

"I’m coming over right now," he spat, then hung up.

I set the phone on the table, walked into the kitchen, and poured a glass of warm water.

My throat still stung with every swallow.

Before I could finish the glass, my phone vibrated again.

It was my mother-in-law, Eleanor.

*Clara, honey, are you and Austin coming over for Sunday dinner this week? You looked so thin the last time we FaceTimed. Are you eating well?*

I stared at her message, my eyes burning.

Eleanor had always treated me like her own daughter.

She was so good to me that for years, she made me feel like marrying Austin hadn't been a complete mistake.

I typed back: *Work is a bit crazy this week, Mom. I’ll come visit as soon as things settle down.*

I locked the screen and placed it face down.

A few minutes later, the front door lock clicked open.

Austin had returned.

And he wasn't alone.

Chloe followed right behind him into the apartment.

Austin slammed his keys onto the coffee table with a sharp clatter.

"You wanted to talk? Let’s talk face-to-face."

Chloe walked over and sat carefully on the edge of the sofa, her hands resting meekly on her knees.

"Clara, I know this looks bad..."

"There's no misunderstanding here."

"Austin told me what happened at the hospital. You think that—"

"I don't think. I know."

She shot a nervous glance at Austin.

Austin didn't look at her; his eyes were glued to me. "Clara, what the hell do you want?"

"I made it very clear in the email. Uncontested divorce. I get the apartment, the car, and half our savings."

"On what grounds?"

"On the grounds that you're an adulterer."

The room went dead silent for ten seconds.

"If you sign," I continued, "we tell everyone we grew apart and parted ways amicably. I won't say a single word to your mother."

Austin didn't reply right away.

He slumped into the armchair opposite me, elbows resting on his knees, staring down at the hardwood floor.

"I bought this apartment," he mumbled bitterly.

"Your mother gave us the down payment. We've been paying the mortgage together for four years, and my paycheck covers the monthly payments directly."

"I bought the car in cash."

"The car you bought in cash was totaled three years ago. The current one was financed using my personal credit line."

"As for our savings—there's fifty thousand dollars total. Twenty-five thousand each. That’s fair."

He clenched his jaw until his temples twitched.

"You’ve been planning this."

"How long have you been planning your affair?"

"You—"

He stood up abruptly, then sank back down under my calm gaze.

"Clara, can't we just talk like reasonable adults?"

"There's nothing left to negotiate. If you don't agree, I'll dial your mother right this second."

I looked at him coldly.

"You know what she hates more than anything in this world. She divorced your father because he stepped out on her. Who do you think she’ll side with once she sees those photos?"

Austin’s color drained from his face.

He knew.

Eleanor’s hatred for cheating men was etched into her very bones.

"Austin..." Chloe spoke up suddenly.

Her voice trembled, sounding like she was on the verge of breaking.

"If you give up everything... what happens to me? What happens to the baby?"