Chapter 2
On Instagram, Jasmine celebrated her love story.
She posted, “100th day with my sunshine.
“120th day with my sunshine.
“200th day with my sunshine.”
Each post felt like a fresh cut, a slow, lingering pain. In some hidden corner of his life, Riley was just as gentle and romantic with another woman, treating her like a princess. She even posted, “Sunshine just proposed-should I say yes?”
The diamond ring sparkled under the starlight, turning the moment into a scene from a fairy tale.
I stared at that Instagram post and remembered, not long ago, Riley had bid on a pink diamond. A friend of mine hap- pened to be at the auction and couldn’t wait to call me.
“Riley did it again! He bought a 5 million dollar pink diamond-he must be planning to surprise you.”
Back then, I waited for Riley to present that pink diamond at some unexpected moment. But in the end, it never hap- pened. By sheer coincidence, I eventually saw who the real owner was.
It was someone else.
Jasmine kept sending messages, but I shut off my phone and looked up as Riley stepped out of the shower. I thought back to the hardest year we’d had together, when I first asked him, “Riley, would you ever betray me?”
We’d both had rough childhoods, clinging to each other, helping each other survive. I looked at Riley and asked again, “Riley, would you ever betray me?”
The 18-year-old Riley had looked at me with burning eyes and promised, “If I, Riley Huxford, ever betray you, Alora Darnell, may I never know peace.”
But 30-year-old Riley just avoided my gaze, sitting at the edge of the bed, trying to comfort me. “Don’t overthink it. Nothing’s going to change between us.”
He didn’t look at me again.
“Get some sleep.”
I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to figure out where we’d gone wrong, how things had come to this. The only thing I knew for sure was that once a crack forms between two people, there’s no going back.
Riley left early the next morning.
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12:30
Chapter 2
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I sat in my room, reading the information Nicole had dug up, feeling numb for a moment.
I’d imagined Jasmine might be young and beautiful, maybe a college student, maybe she had some quality that drew Riley in-something I didn’t have. But I never expected to lose him to a woman nearly 50.
Jasmine took good care of herself, but she wasn’t beautiful. She even had a son, Simon Farlan, almost 28, just two years younger than Riley.
My stomach lurched.
I barely made it to the bathroom before I was sick, then dragged myself to the kitchen, where Riley had left me break- fast. There was a mango smoothie waiting for me.
I’m allergic to mangoes. Jasmine had written on Instagram, “My favorite sunshine made me a mango smoothie-five
stars!”
Turns out, Riley had changed long ago. I was just lying to myself.
“What the hell is Riley thinking?”
Nicole was furious.
“Is he just into older women now? Or does he want someone with old bones because she’s easier to control?”
She sneered. “Or maybe he just wants to play dad without any of the work.”
I couldn’t think about anything else. My upbringing had taught me that when things go wrong, the first thing you do is protect yourself.
“Help me draft the divorce papers.”
My voice was so quiet, it barely carried any emotion.
Nicole paused, then asked carefully, “Alora, are you sure you’re okay?”
Does it matter?
It’s already happened-what else can I do?
“It won’t be an easy case,” I told Nicole.
“I’ve never been one to leave shade for those who come after.”
Nicole thumped her chest in promise.
“I swear, I won’t let you down.”
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12:29
I drove to the hotel.
