Chapter 1The Agony of Unspoken Goodbyes

On the day of my husband’s funeral, I overheard his best friend on the phone.

“Dude, this ‘playing dead’ thing is next level. Your wife is literally burying you at the cemetery, and you’re at a gaming hotel pulling an all-nighter with some chick.”

“Save me a spot. I’m on my way.”

I froze, my blood turning to ice. On autopilot, I followed him to the gaming hotel.

There, I saw him. Preston Prescott, the man whose word was law in our family, now fawning over some rebellious-looking girl with neon-streaked hair. He leaned in close, feeding her lemonade mouth-to-mouth.

When he turned his head for a second, his friend nudged him, laughing.

“Bro, you still haven’t washed off that temporary tattoo?”

Preston tilted his neck back. Under a decal of a yellow lemon, a pair of bright red words stood out: Roxy’s Property.

“Never,” he declared, his voice thick with affection. “It’s a custom piece from my girl. I’m keeping it forever.”

A chilling cold seeped into my bones. I stumbled out of the hotel in a daze.

I had just walked through my front door when my mother-in-law, her eyes red and swollen from crying, gripped my hand.

“Audrey, darling,” she said, her voice gentle. “A Prescott woman isn’t expected to live as a young widow. I’ve found another family for you to consider. If he’s a good man, I will personally arrange the match.”

* * *

“So, has Audrey handled all the funeral arrangements?” Preston’s voice was casual, but I could hear the mocking undertone.

His friend chuckled. “All taken care of, man. Meticulous, perfect etiquette. Classic Audrey.”

“She was crying her eyes out, but she still had that perfect, restrained posture. A true high-society lady.”

Click.

Preston lit a cigarette, then placed it between Roxy’s lips, his eyes full of doting affection.

Through the haze of smoke, I saw the flicker of annoyance in his eyes.

“That’s just Audrey,” he said with a sigh. “Emotionally numb by nature. She doesn't have feelings.”

“Her life is a color-coded schedule. What to eat, what to wear… even getting pregnant was a calculated event, waiting for the exact day of ovulation. She’s rigid and boring.”

“Honestly, even if I really were dead, she’d just live out her days as a dutiful widow, taking care of my mother and the Prescott estate.”

His friend burst out laughing. “One marriage certificate, and she’s loyal to you and your family for life. Pretty good deal, huh?”

“Who knows,” another voice chimed in, “maybe she’ll even be happy when you come back from the dead.”

The room erupted in laughter, each sound a needle piercing my eardrums. A bitter acid rose in my chest, and I had to take several deep breaths to swallow the tears.

For the sake of his dignity, I had suppressed my own grief to manage his affairs. Every person who came to offer their condolences praised my composure.

“Preston found such a wonderful wife. Audrey, you poor thing, left to manage this entire mess.”

I never saw it as a burden.

For Preston, I would have done it a million times over.

At home, I managed every detail of our lives so he never had to worry about a thing. In public, I was his most capable partner, helping him land the biggest deal for the Prescott Corporation in the last decade.

I truly believed we were soulmates, partners moving forward together.

I never imagined that in the end, all I was to him was a “good deal.”

“Hey! Can you stop talking about your old-fashioned wife when you’re with me?” Roxy ripped off her headset and slammed it on the table.

“I want you to divorce her! And you have to get my name tattooed on your chest! That’s how I’ll know you really love me!”

My heart clenched. I was terrified to hear his answer.

Preston hesitated for only a second before nodding eagerly. “Okay, baby. If you want a divorce, we’ll get a divorce. Want to go get that tattoo right now?”

An arctic chill washed over me. A violent headache threatened to split my skull in two.

For the first time in my life, I lost control. I stumbled out of the gaming hotel, running blindly. On the crowded street, Preston’s proposal echoed in my ears.

“Audrey, in the Prescott family, there’s no divorce. Only ‘til death do us part.’ You will be the only wife I ever have.”

How laughable. His vow had an expiration date of only three years.

I wandered the streets, lost, until my phone buzzed. It was my mother-in-law, her voice weary.

“Audrey, you’ve been through so much. In our family, there’s no tradition of widowhood. I’ve found someone for you. Please, consider marrying again.”