Chapter 1

I was famously lazy.

After we got engaged, my fiancé asked me to try on a wedding dress every day and send him a picture.

I took a shortcut and sent him the same photo sixty times.

He never noticed. Every day, right on schedule, he replied, “Beautiful.”

On day sixty-one, I texted, “I ran into Ava at the bridal shop today.”

Three seconds later, a FaceTime call came through.

“Ava has sensitive skin. Don’t let her touch those cheap fabrics.”

When the call ended, I let out a bitter laugh and sent another message.

“We’re getting our marriage license this weekend. Don’t forget your ID.”

He sent back a voice message, sounding faintly annoyed.

“Let’s do it another day. Ava’s having her birthday party this weekend, and I promised I’d be there.”

Exhaustion washed over me.

He’d forgotten that it was our fifth anniversary.

I sat on the couch in a daze for a long time. Then I listed our future marital home with a real estate agent.

There was no point in getting married anymore.

“Ms. Bennett, are you sure you want to list this property? It looks like you renovated it for your wedding. Such a shame when it’s only just been finished.”

The agent had been on the phone for less than two minutes, and I’d already said yes three times.

After I hung up, three messages from Ethan popped up, each more entitled than the last.

【Ava wants a short pendant necklace. You have good taste. Pick one for her, under three thousand.】

【Check the decorations at her birthday venue this weekend. I have to work overtime that day.】

【Oh, and Ava’s knees have been bothering her in the cold. Take the space heater from our place over to her.】

I stared at “our place” for a few seconds.

Three months ago, I’d spotted a necklace in a jewelry store and sent him a photo. He’d said it was too expensive and we’d talk about it later.

But when Ava wanted one, he immediately set a three-thousand-dollar budget.

“Pick it out yourself.”

A FaceTime call came through immediately. I didn’t answer. He called twice. I ignored both.

Then another message appeared, already dripping with impatience.

【What’s your problem now? Ava can’t pick one herself. Why do you have to make such a big deal out of helping?】

That line again. Why make such a big deal out of helping?

Anything involving Ava was a crisis to him. Anything I felt was an overreaction.

I didn’t reply. I kept packing.

Under the coffee table, I found a shipping box.

Inside was the scarf I’d asked Ethan to order for me last month.

The color was wrong.

I’d chosen slate blue. The scarf in the box was pink.

I checked the order history. He’d bought two of the same scarf.

One had been shipped to Ava. Pink. The other had been shipped here. Also pink.

He didn’t even know I never wore pink.

The door opened.

Ethan walked in carrying several shopping bags and piled them on the coffee table.

“Stuff for Ava’s birthday. Keep it here for me. If I leave it at my place, she might see it and ruin the surprise.”

He took out his phone to answer a message without looking up.

I glanced through the bags. Balloons, streamers, tablecloths. The main color was champagne gold.

The color I’d chosen for our wedding.

At the bottom were two small matte-gray boxes.

I opened the first. A rose-gold necklace, with Ava’s name engraved on the pendant.

It was almost identical to the one I’d wanted, only made with better materials.

I opened the second. Same style, noticeably cheaper workmanship.

The pendant was blank. No engraving.

One carefully customized for Ava. The other an extra he’d tossed in for me.

Ethan finally looked up.

“What are you digging through?”

“Two necklaces?”

“Yeah. Ava’s is her birthday present. I picked yours up while I was there. Same basic style, so you can’t accuse me of playing favorites.”

He headed for the door, then stopped as something occurred to him.

“Oh, I changed the emergency contact on my phone a couple days ago. I put Ava’s number down. She lives close to the hospital, so it’ll be easier if anything happens.”

“Your emergency contact is Ava?”

“She can always answer.” He said it as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

“You’re in meetings all day. What if they can’t reach you and it holds things up?”

He opened the door and left me one last scrap of consideration through the gap.

“Ava says she has a headache. I’m going to check on her. Get some rest.”

Less than three minutes after the door closed, a Snapchat message from Ava appeared.

“Paige, Ethan said you’re keeping the party supplies for me? Thank you! I couldn’t ask for a better future sister-in-law.”

She finished with a pink heart.

I took a screenshot and saved it in a new folder.

Then I opened my chat with the real estate agent.

“Drop the price another five percent. I want it sold quickly.”