She Got the Version of Him I Never Did

Julian Thorne's first love has returned to New York, and he settles Serena Bell in a secluded hillside mansion, plays the piano he once swore never to touch, and lets her drink from his personal mug. On the couple's fifth wedding anniversary, his wife Audrey Hayes cooks his favorite dishes, then learns he lied about an urgent merger at the office. She drives to Thorne Corp, finds the lights off, and follows his car's GPS to the villa, where she walks in on Julian at the black Steinway beside Serena, gently wiping her lip.

Julian shields Serena behind him and calls her emotionally unstable, insisting he is only looking after a friend. He tells Audrey to go home and not make a scene, and she sweeps the soup she brought into the trash, saying he disgusts her. Shaking off his grip, she leaves for the small apartment she bought in college and spends the night awake.

The next morning Julian lets himself in with the old password, carrying a cake, and begins to explain what happened.