1.Chapter 1 End Of Their Union
The courthouse clerk pushed the divorce certificates towards Jonathan Lynn and Teresa Johnston with a brisk “Guard these well.”
Their muttered thanks were barely audible as they each took hold of the documents that signified the end of their union.
As they parted, Jonathan cast a lingering, weighted glance at Teresa before striding out of her life, never looking back.
The echoes of their passionate disputes and his parting shot—”Let’s call it quits. I’m done.”—lingered in her mind like a fading echo.
Teresa limped out of the courthouse, her legs aching from the tumultuous night she’d endured with Jonathan. It had been a brutal finale to their relationship, a symphony of pain that threatened to buckle her knees.
The phone in Teresa’s pocket buzzed with an incoming call from Miriam Shaw, her best friend. She thought a drink with Miriam could be just what she needed to dull the pain, even if just for a little while.
At the bar, Miriam’s eyes fell on the divorce certificate, her brow furrowing with concern. “You’re really doing this, huh?”
Teresa nodded, her voice devoid of emotion. “Yeah, it’s final.”
Miriam struggled to process it. “But Jonathan adores you. How could he just let you go?”
Teresa’s gaze turned to ice. “He told me it’s over.” She paused, swallowing hard to keep her composure. “He’s done with me.”
Miriam, her eyes sharp as daggers, leaned in, her voice a whisper that cut through the silence. “Is he with that woman now? What was her name again? Yvonne Chapman?”
Teresa’s shoulders rose and fell with a sigh, the day’s weight pressing down on her. “Haven’t a clue, and frankly, I’m past caring. His drama’s not my scene anymore.”
She raised her glass to take a sip, but the liquid turned bitter on her tongue, followed by a queasy twist in her stomach.
Miriam’s sigh was a hiss of frustration. “Figures. I always said those shotgun weddings were doomed from the start.”
Teresa paused, lost in thought, recalling the start of her story with Jonathan. It had all begun two years back when she was healing from a heartache.
Seeking solace, she turned to old friends and found herself at a dinner where Jonathan unexpectedly walked into her life.
He was striking—tall, charismatic, and possessing an allure that was hard to resist. After sharing a meal together, he managed to get her number.
Their conversations flowed like the river of time, and Teresa found herself drawn to his caring ways. He had asked her out, but she was hesitant, not yet ready to return to the world of dating.
On a night when the wine had her feeling bold, Teresa’s usual reservations faded away. With a shaky finger, she hit record on WhatsApp and sent a voice message to Jonathan. “Hey, Jonathan… Do you have feelings for me?”
The line crackled with tension as Jonathan’s voice pierced through. “You’re tipsy,” he said.
She shot back, her words tumbling out in a defensive flurry. “Fine, Jonathan, spill it. You got a thing for me? Those late-night talks and roses aren’t just friendly, are they?”
His response was decisive, brooking no debate. “This isn’t something to discuss over the phone. I’m coming over.”
She wrote him off as all talk, especially at the unholy hour of 3 AM. But there he was, pulling up in his BMW, the winter air painting his ears a vivid red against the night.
Maybe it was the buzz from the alcohol, or maybe it was the surprise of his arrival, but she found herself waving him inside.
The night unfolded into one she’d never forget—she rose up, laced her arms around his neck, and pressed a kiss to his lips. A moment frozen in time.
His response was more intense than she’d bargained for, catching her completely off guard. With a laugh that was half-giddy, half-shocked, she joked, “You’re on the hook for this, Jonathan.”
He met her gaze, unwavering. “I know.” And with that, he sealed their fate.
In the span of a heartbeat, Teresa went from single to Mrs. Lynn, swept off her feet by a romance that moved faster than a summer storm.
The day she pledged her life to Jonathan’s, he’d slipped a ring onto her finger and, with a playful smile, whispered, “Mrs. Lynn, you’re stuck with me now, for richer or poorer.”
She was a fresh-faced 22; he, a seasoned 25. Fast forward two years, and their vows were as broken as the hearts they left in their wake.
Sipping from her glass, Teresa tasted the bitterness of her current reality, each drop as sour as the memories of what once was.
Miriam, her voice a soft caress of worry, leaned in. “So, how’s the divorce shaping up? I’ve heard you’re the one with the financial upper hand compared to Jonathan.”
Teresa had been the envy of her peers—gorgeous and loaded. Even the divorce of her parents hadn’t touched her wealth; she’d coasted through college on a $30,000-a-month stipend and had three Porsches for every day of the week.
Jonathan, with his charm and corner office, was outclassed by Teresa’s financial clout.
As Teresa’s best friend, Miriam was anxious, fearing that Teresa might lose more than just a husband in the split.
“He’s leaving with nothing,” Teresa said softly to Miriam. “The house we shared, he bought it, and I don’t want it. His belongings, his memories—they’re all his.” Her eyes, distant and thoughtful, looked into the void. “But I don’t think he’ll stay in Nareigh, will he?”
The memory of the courthouse was as sharp as the day it happened. Teresa’s voice had cut through the air like a knife, final and resolute as she spoke to Jonathan. “It’s over, Jonathan. I hope you find whatever it is you’re chasing.”
She didn’t linger for his response, just turned on her heel and walked away, the echo of her footsteps marking the end of their story.
