Chapter 9  Chapter 9  The next morning, I stood staring at my closet full of clothes Daniel had given me, rubbing my forehead with a wry smile.  Which one was…

After several months together, Daniel and I had grown much closer.  I stopped calling him Mr. Carter, and he no longer called me Miss Johnson.  One day, I was working…

Chapter 7  After composing myself, I returned to the small yard.  Keeping busy always helped push away the pain.  After cleaning up the place, I felt a little better.  For…

Chapter 6  “Jake, if you hadn’t given Emma that job, she couldn’t even stay in DC.”  “So her mom died. Big deal. Now she can’t use that excuse to squeeze…

Chapter 5  Not only had Jake diverted my bonuses and raises, but he thought I was lying about my mother’s death and deliberately delayed signing my bereavement benefits.  He even…

Chapter 4  The more I saw Jake’s true colors, the more I wondered:  How blind had I been for these seven years?  People around us started whispering and pointing.  When…

Chapter 3  Chapter 3  In the dead of night, I still wandered the empty streets with all my belongings.  This massive city no longer held a place for me, and…

Chapter 2  Chapter 2  We’d rented this tiny 450–square–foot apartment when Jake and I first got together.  After college, I stayed in North DC to earn more money.  With my…

Chapter 10  Chapter 10  Was his attempt to win me back too little, too late?  A month ago, he was the one who tore me and our son apart.  While…

Chapter 9  After a few days of adjusting to life in New Zealand, today was my son’s first day of school.  I woke up early and packed his backpack for…