Chapter 1 #2
Holly's stomach twisted, bile rising in her throat. She swallowed it down and kept driving.
By the time she reached the bayfront, the rain had softened to a drizzle. She pulled into an empty parking lot overlooking the water and cut the engine. The silence rushed in, thick and suffocating, broken only by the rhythmic patter of rain on the roof and the distant hum of traffic.
Holly sat there, staring at the water.
The bay stretched out before her, dark and endless, its surface rippling with the reflection of streetlights. They wavered and danced, golden and ghostly, like something beautiful trying to pretend it wasn't broken.
Her chest ached. A deep, hollow ache that made it hard to breathe.
How many times had Terry smiled at her across a table? Laughed at her jokes? Hugged her goodbye? How many dinners had they shared, how many secrets had Holly told her, how many times had she called Terry her best friend, all the while this was happening?
And Simon.
How many times had he kissed Holly goodnight? Told her he loved her? Held her hand? All while thinking of someone else? Not just anyone else, Holly’s best friend!
The memories scrambled, tumbling over each other in a desperate search for answers. Had he been distant? Had Terry seemed different? When had it started? How had she missed it?
She didn't know. She couldn't see it. Couldn't piece it together.
Her hands were shaking. Everything was shaking.
"How long have I been a blind fool?" she whispered into the silence. “How didn't I see it?"
Her voice cracked, and the sobs came. Deep, wrenching sobs that tore through her chest and left her gasping. She pressed her forehead against the steering wheel, the leather cool against her burning skin, and let the grief pour out in waves.
When the tears finally slowed, she sat up, wiping her face with trembling hands. Her eyes burned. Her throat ached. She felt hollowed out, like someone had reached inside and scooped out everything that mattered.
Her gaze fell to her left hand.
The wedding ring glinted faintly in the dim light, a thin band of gold that had sat on her finger for thirty-five years. Thirty-five years of promises and vows and a life she'd thought was real.
She stared at it for a long moment.
Then, slowly, carefully, she pulled it off.
It came away easily. Too easily.
She held it in her palm, feeling its weight, its warmth fading against her skin. And then, without thinking, without hesitating, she dropped it into the cup holder.
The sound it made was a small, soft clink of metal against plastic.
But it echoed in the quiet like the snap of a lock.
Like the click of an ending.
Holly turned the ignition key.
The engine roared to life, and she pulled out of the parking lot, back onto the rain-slicked streets. The city blurred around her again, dark and endless, and she drove into it without looking back.
She had no idea where she was going.
Only that she couldn't go home again.
Holly didn't remember making the decision to drive to her sister Charlie's apartment.
One moment she was sitting at the bayfront, staring at nothing, and the next she was pulling into the visitor parking of her sister's building.
It was a sleek high-rise on the beach with floor-to-ceiling windows that caught the last light of the setting sun.
Holly took the elevator up in silence, her reflection staring back at her from the polished steel doors. She looked like a stranger. Her hair was damp from the rain. Eyes red and swollen. The kind of hollow expression that came from having your world torn apart.
When Charlie opened the door, she took one look at Holly's face and pulled her inside without a word.
"What happened?" Charlie's voice was calm, measured. The same tone she used in courtrooms when she was about to dismantle someone's argument piece by piece.
Holly opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. The words stuck in her throat, tangled up with everything she'd been holding in during the drive. She shook her head, and that was all it took.
Charlie wrapped her arms around her and held on tight.
"Simon," Holly finally managed, her voice breaking on his name. "And Terry. I—I came home early and they were—"
She didn't have to finish. Charlie's arms tightened, and Holly felt her sister's entire body go rigid.
"That douche bag." Charlie bit off the rest of the curse and pulled back, her hands gripping Holly's shoulders. Her green eyes, so like Holly's own, were blazing. "Tell me everything."
Holly did. The words came in a rush now, tumbling over each other. The canceled delivery. The pastries. Terry's car in the driveway. The music and laughter. The way they'd been standing together, so close, so comfortable, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
By the time she finished, Charlie was pacing the length of her living room, hands clenched into fists at her sides.
"I'm calling Marjorie," she said, already reaching for her phone. “She’s an attorney…”
"No, Charlie, please," Holly said, not sure it was time to call an attorney. Was it?
"No. Don't argue with me." Charlie's voice was sharp, decisive. "Marjorie Dawn is the best divorce attorney in my firm, and you're going to need the best. Trust me on this."
“This has only just happened,” Holly said. “Maybe I mistook what was going on?”
“Sure you did,” Charlie said. “Now that they know you know, you need to act before Simon does.”
Holly sank onto the leather sofa, too exhausted to protest. Through the massive windows, the ocean stretched out in shades of gray and silver, waves rolling in with hypnotic rhythm. She stared at it, letting the sight ground her while Charlie's voice murmured into the phone somewhere behind her.
"Marjorie? It's Charlie. I need a favor and it’s a big one.” There was a pause before Charlie said, “My sister... yes. It’s just happened today. Can you meet with her tomorrow morning? Perfect. I'll bring her into work with me first thing."
Charlie ended the call and turned back to Holly, her expression softening. "Marjorie will see you at nine tomorrow morning. She's tough, Holly. She won't let Simon walk all over you."
Holly nodded, but the words felt distant, like they were meant for someone else.
Charlie's eyes suddenly widened. "Wait. Where's Trinity?"
The question hit Holly like a bucket of ice water. She looked at her watch, and her stomach dropped. "Ballet. Oh shoot. Is that the time already?” Her eyes met her sister’s. “Charlie, she gets out in ten minutes. I completely forgot. How could I forget my baby?"
"Stop." Charlie grabbed her keys from the counter. "I'll get her. You stay here and drink this." She poured a generous glass of white wine and handed it to Holly. "I'll swing by your place, grab some clothes for both of you, and you're staying here until we figure this out. Understood?"
Holly's throat tightened, and she nodded. "Thank you."
Charlie squeezed her shoulder. "That's what sisters are for. Now sit. Drink. Stare at the ocean. I'll be back soon."
The door clicked shut behind her, and Holly was alone.
She sipped the wine without tasting it and turned back to the windows. The sun was setting now, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange that reflected off the water. It should have been beautiful. It probably was beautiful.
But all Holly could feel was numb.