Chapter 3No Old Love on the Other Side

That afternoon, Wyatt took me to City Hall, just as he’d planned. He was in a fantastic mood the entire way, chattering about where I wanted to go for our third anniversary.

Wyatt and I had grown up together. This was our third year of marriage.

“How about Prague?” he suggested. “You’ve been begging to feed the pigeons in the Old Town Square since you were seven.”

He got out, walked around to my side, and unbuckled my seatbelt. His brow furrowed as he noticed my face. “Hey, have you been crying?”

He gently brushed a thumb under my eye. “I told you, it’s just an act. She’s just a little bird in a cage. I’m just curious to see how long it takes for her to finally give in.”

As he spoke, something fell from his pocket.

A box of condoms.

Wyatt cleared his throat and rubbed his nose, offering no explanation.

He led me into City Hall. It all went smoothly.

I have selective mutism. When I'm around strangers or under stress, the words just won't come out. But I can nod and shake my head.

“Is this divorce voluntary?”

“Yes.” I nodded.

“Do you confirm the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage?”

“Yes.” I nodded again.

“There’s a mandatory thirty-day cooling-off period. You’ll need to return in one month to finalize.”

Wyatt took the receipt. He snapped a picture of it before we’d even left the building and tapped out a message. My phone buzzed in sync. It was from Sadie, as usual. A forwarded image of the receipt from Wyatt, with his message attached:

Satisfied? Now go get ready for me tonight.

I tapped her profile picture and blocked her. A moment later, a flight confirmation email arrived, followed by a text.

Flight booked. See you in a month.

Paris is waiting.