Chapter 3Leaving You All Behind

On the cab ride home, the city lights slowly faded, and the streets grew quieter.

When Hank and I bought the condo we planned to live in after the wedding, he said he wanted somewhere quiet, so we chose a place out in the suburbs.

But it was over six miles from my office, and getting a cab usually meant waiting at least half an hour.

Hank was too busy with work to drive me, so whenever it rained, I had to get up two hours early just to make sure I could get a ride.

I asked him three times if we could move, but he said no every time.

He always looked a little troubled when he said, "Amanda, just hang in there a little longer. Once I get through this busy stretch at work, we'll move.”

Hang in there?

Meanwhile, Olivia was living in a spacious condo right downtown.

The vintage furniture and decor looked familiar. I'd seen the same style in the design plans tucked away in Hank's drawer.

I'd thought those plans were for the place we were going to move into. It had never crossed my mind that he was designing another home for her.

After I got out of the cab, I took the stairs up to the sixth floor.

When I opened the door, the condo looked the same as always, plain and sparsely furnished.

Chester had given me the wardrobe, saying I should have plenty of nice clothes. Even after the sliding-door track started to rust, I could never bring myself to get rid of it.

Mom and Dad had bought the bed. They'd said a wooden bed frame would be sturdy. But even the slightest movement made it creak at night, and it often kept me awake.

I looked around the condo, and it finally hit me.

All those little things I'd held on to so tightly had never meant what I thought they did. They'd just been cheap gestures meant to keep me happy.

After I finished packing my clothes, I closed my suitcase. Then I sat down at the coffee table in the living room and signed the transfer application.

"Going on a business trip? Why didn't you tell me earlier? I'll drive you.”

I hadn't even noticed Hank come in. He was taking off his shoes by the door.

Without looking up from the application, I said, "I can drive myself. I don't need someone else's husband driving me."

Hank frowned, clearly annoyed. "Amanda, do you really have to be jealous over this? Olivia wouldn't have to hide like this if you hadn't come back. We've already given you enough.”

"Jealous? Don't flatter yourself. Hank, we're done. You can keep the condo. I'm taking the car.”

Hank let out a disbelieving laugh.

"Trying to get a reaction out of me again? I got a call yesterday saying you'd threaten to break up with me, and sure enough, that's exactly what you're doing. Amanda, can't you come up with anything new?”

He looked at me like I'd completely let him down. Then he slammed the door and walked away without looking back.

So this was what it felt like when no one would believe a word you said.

I swallowed hard, tasting blood at the back of my throat. I grabbed my suitcase and headed down to the parking garage.

I sent the transfer application to Ms. Parker for approval. By tomorrow, I could book my flight.

As I drove away, the condo complex behind me grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared from sight.

There were no streetlights this far out in the suburbs, and even my headlights barely cut through the darkness.

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel when something suddenly slammed into the back of my car. Before I could turn around and see what had hit me, everything went red.

My phone automatically dialed my emergency contact three times, but no one answered. With what little strength I had left, I called Mom and Dad, but the line was busy.

Then, just when I needed someone to answer, Chester called me back, sounding irritated.

"Stop calling. Can't you give it a rest? Let me guess, you're going to say you got into a car accident, right? Hank got another call from his future self ten minutes ago warning us not to fall for your sob story.”

My heart sank.

My smartwatch had already sent Hank more than a dozen alerts about my heart rate, but he still wouldn't believe me.

I closed my eyes, and my mind went completely blank.