Chapter 2

I started doing something new.

Nothing at all.

For years, my alarm had gone off at six in the morning without fail. I would prep Leo's breakfast, trim the crusts off his sandwiches, warm his milk to precisely body temperature, and slice his favorite fruit into bite-sized pieces.

Now, when the alarm buzzed, I simply rolled over and went back to sleep.

On the first morning, Martha panicked.

"Ma'am, what about Leo's breakfast...?"

"There's bread in the fridge. He can toast it himself."

On the second morning, Leo was late for school.

Ms. Lee called my phone. I let it ring.

She called three times. I only picked up on the fourth.

"Mrs. Hayes, Leo was forty minutes late today."

"I see."

"Um... don't you want to know why?"

"Ms. Lee, Leo's emergency contact has been updated. Please direct your calls to Ms. Chloe Hall."

The line fell dead silent for a few beats.

"Understood, Mrs. Hayes."

On the third day, Nathan actually came home.

A rarity. Lately, he showed his face about once a week.

The moment he stepped through the front door, his brow furrowed.

"Why is it so quiet in here? Where's Leo?"

"No idea."

He shot me a look dripping with irritation.

"How can you not even know where your own son is?"

"Didn't you change the primary school contact to Chloe? Ask her."

Nathan's jaw tightened.

"Diana, what kind of tantrum is this? Chloe was just on the way that day."

"'On the way,'" I echoed flatly.

"From your office to the school, it's a twenty-minute drive down the highway. From Chloe's apartment to the school, looping past your office first, takes nearly an hour. You call that 'on the way'?"

He fell silent, tearing off his tie and tossing it onto the couch.

"I don't have the energy to fight with you over this."

"Neither do I. Which is why you can leave Leo's affairs to Chloe from now on. Pickups, homework, signatures, conferences—I'm washing my hands of all of it."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like."

He glared at me, studying my face as if checking whether I was bluffing.

Then he let out a dry chuckle, sighing with unmistakable relief.

"Fine. If you want a break, take one. Chloe is honestly much better with kids anyway, and Leo adores her."

The words hit like a cold needle driving straight into my chest.

I didn't utter a sound.

"By the way," he said, pulling out his phone as he headed upstairs, "the company gala is next week. You need to show up."

"I'm not going."

He paused on the steps.

"Diana, what is wrong with you lately?"

"I'm tired."

"Tired from what? You don't even have a job! You stay home all day with a housekeeper doing everything for you, getting whatever you want. What more do you need?"

Looking at this man I had been married to for twelve years, he felt entirely like a stranger.

"Nathan, do you have any idea that the Vance Education Foundation released its annual report this week?"

"What foundation?"

"Never mind."

He shook his head and bounded upstairs.

Through the floorboards, I heard him make a phone call, his voice hushed but distinct enough for fragments to carry down.

"Chloe, Leo wants to hit the theme park this weekend. Are you free?"

"Great, let's aim for Saturday."

"Yeah, Diana's just been in a mood lately. Don't let it bother you."

I sat in the living room, gripping my mug so hard my knuckles turned white.

That man was standing inside the house I bought, calling another woman to plan an outing with my son.

Come the weekend, Chloe showed up right on schedule.

She wore an off-white sundress, her makeup immaculate, carrying a bakery box from an upscale patisserie.

"Diana, I brought Leo his favorite tiramisu," she purred from the entryway, smiling warmly.

Leo bolted down the stairs, throwing his arms around her before even dropping his backpack.

"Auntie Chloe! You made it!"

He had never spoken to me in that tone—not once.

Chloe knelt down, adjusting his collar with practiced gentleness.

"Did you finish your homework, buddy?"

"Auntie Chloe tutored me over FaceTime yesterday, so it's all done!"

Brushing past me, Leo didn't spare me a single glance.

"Mom, don't make lunch for me. Dad and Auntie Chloe are taking me out."

Nathan descended the stairs, dressed casually.

Passing me, he paused.

"Want to come along?"

"No."

"All right, we're off."

The moment the front door clicked shut, the silence in the house was deafening.

Martha stood by the kitchen door, fidgeting awkwardly.

"Ma'am..."

"Take the rest of the day off, Martha. No need to cook tonight."

I sat alone in the sprawling, empty living room from morning until dusk.

My phone stayed completely silent.

No one texted to ask if I had eaten, or what I was doing by myself.

They didn't feel my absence at all.

Perhaps they had never needed me in the first place.

By eight that evening, they still hadn't returned.

I drafted a reply to the school board's email.

"The naming proposal is confirmed. Please proceed as updated. No need to notify outside parties."

Ten minutes later, the board secretary responded: "Ms. Vance, the official unveiling ceremony is set for next month. Your presence will be required for the ribbon-cutting."

I typed back: "We'll see when the time comes."

I turned off my phone and drifted into a sound sleep.

For the first time in twelve years, I slept through the entire night without waking once.