Both sets of divorce agreements clearly bore both our signatures—mine and Caleb's.

I had forced him to sign them after the second time he hurt our son, but I had never gotten the chance to hand them over to the lawyer.

Later, Caleb had told me to destroy them. Though I had pretended to agree, I kept them just in case he made mistakes again. That way, I could leave him.

Now, it was time to put them to use. He had probably long forgotten they even existed.

I grabbed the papers and the suitcase and left the house I'd lived in for nearly ten years without looking back.

I thought I wouldn't hear from Caleb anymore in those final few days, but unexpectedly, he messaged me almost every single day. I couldn't figure out what he wanted, so I called him directly.

Caleb chuckled. "Missed me?"

I rolled my eyes. "What do you want? I need to take care of Tobey, so it's faster to talk on the phone."

His voice darkened. "Can't I talk to my wife without needing a reason?"

Swallowing my disgust, I asked, "Don't you need to keep Ms. Monroe company?"

Caleb fell silent for a few seconds. "I already told you that Lila and I are just friends. At most, I see her as a little sister. I don't need to keep her company all the time. You're still just jealous.

"Sienna, I've got a surprise for you. I promise you'll love me even more once you find out what it is."

I really didn't have the patience to keep up this act with Caleb. "I'm busy. Just spit it out."

Finally, after dragging it out long enough, he said, "I'll go pick you up in a few days—we're going to see Minim Orchestra's 100th-anniversary tour!"

Minim Orchestra, my favorite orchestra, was actually coming to perform in Westbridge? My heart wavered for a moment, but I only replied flatly, "I'll think about it."

After hanging up, I headed to a couture boutique. I really liked the work of their designer, Lorenzo Laurent, so I decided that while I was still in Westbridge, I'd ask him to make a few more outfits for me and Tobey.

When I arrived at the entrance, I saw Lila walking out, arm in arm with Caleb. She greeted me, "What a coincidence, Ms. Hart. You came to get clothes made, too? But Caleb booked the whole place today, so they're not taking other clients."

Lorenzo looked at me awkwardly. "Maybe you could come back another day, Ms. Hart?"

Just as I was about to leave, Lila stopped me. "Oh, how could we make Ms. Hart come back another day? Please, wait just a little bit—my girlfriends and I will be done very soon."

With that, someone pushed me into the boutique.

But Lila and her dozen girlfriends were clearly stalling on purpose. They kept changing their measurements and went over the color choices again and again. They tossed the clothes onto the couch where I sat, and someone even ordered me to fetch them tea and coffee. And even worse, someone stepped on my feet repeatedly.

Every time I tried to leave, Lila would come over and innocently ask if I was bored and tell me to wait just a little bit longer—they would be done very soon. Then, she'd go back to asking Caleb to help her pick colors.

And any time he so much as glanced my way, Lila would find new ways to pull his attention back.

She wasn't always so restless, though.

When they finally finished, Lorenzo called me over to take my measurements. As I walked past the fitting rooms, I saw Caleb and Lila locked in a passionate kiss.

A chill ran over my entire body, and I couldn't hold it in any longer.

When another one of the girlfriends stopped me to get her some water, I dumped the whole glass over her head and strode right out of there.

And with that, my resolve to leave Caleb grew even stronger.

The day before Tobey's discharge was also the day of the concert Caleb had invited me to.

Caleb sent over a pure white evening gown, identical to the one I'd worn ten years earlier.

The reason he was putting so much effort into this was that we had met at one of these concerts, and we'd hit it off right away.

Inside the box, along with the dress, was a handwritten letter.

"We've weathered countless storms together, and I'm so glad you're still by my side. I hope we can walk together through the next decade—and beyond."

I had to admit—Caleb knew me too well. He knew I was a sucker for heartfelt, sincere gestures.

I ran my fingers over the bold, vigorous strokes of his handwriting, and memories of all we had shared flooded back to me.

When I was pregnant with Tobey, I suffered terrible morning sickness. Caleb put his work aside and stayed with me every day. He would even point at my belly and say to Tobey, "You're making Mommy suffer so much. When you come out, you have to protect her along with Daddy."

The memory was filled with warmth, but the present reality was bitterly ironic.

Time and again, Caleb failed as a husband and a father, putting me and our son in danger and facing humiliation. He made promise after promise, only to break them again and again, leaving us to look like utter fools.

I wiped away my tears. After deliberating for a long moment, I ultimately put on the dress.

Caleb had said that after the concert, we could go backstage to take photos with my favorite musicians. It was a rare opportunity that might never come again.

But he never came to pick me up.

He said something urgent had come up but that he'd be done with it soon, begging me to wait for him outside the theater.

Standing at the entrance, with the concert about to begin, I finally saw a car that looked like his approaching from a distance.

I was angry and was about to turn and leave, but the car suddenly made a sharp U-turn and sped away.

Half an hour later, Caleb finally called.

"I'm sorry, Sienna. Lila was suddenly admitted into the emergency room. I was already at the theater when I got the call. I swear, I even bought you flowers—"

Rain began to pour, and muddy water splattered onto my white gown. I didn't bother to listen anymore and hung up on him.

What a joke. What a joke I was.

I shouldn't have let myself hold even a shred of hope for him.

Countless occasions had proven that in his heart, I would never come before Lila. His wife and his son were never his priority—Lila was.

I walked into the rain, clearer-headed than ever.

…

At dawn the next day, I took Tobey and boarded a plane, leaving the city. I had just stowed my luggage when Caleb's call came in, one after another.

His voice trembled with panic. "Sienna, where did you and Tobey go?"