My Marriage: His Debt to Another Woman Chapter 03

My Marriage: His Debt to Another Woman Chapter 03

“Fine.”

The word came out more easily than I’d expected.

Jake was visibly stunned.

He probably thought I’d do what I always did: swallow my anger, put up a token fight, and then, inevitably, back down.

I sat on the sofa, my voice perfectly steady.

“I understand.”

He frowned, studying me.

“Elara, did you hear what I said? I said *temporarily*. I didn’t say—”

“I heard you,” I cut in. “And that’s why my lawyer will be in touch.”

“Lawyer?” His face darkened. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I know exactly what I’m talking about.” I stood up. “My lawyer will contact you tomorrow at nine a.m. If you have counsel, they can coordinate directly.”

Jake took a step forward, his expression turning ugly.

“Elara, don’t do this.”

“Then what *should* I do, Jake?” I met his gaze. “Keep waiting for you to come home after you’ve taken care of her? Keep waiting for another explanation? Keep pretending I have any place left in this marriage?”

He opened his mouth, a rebuttal forming on his lips.

I didn’t give him the chance.

“I’m bowing out, Jake. If you want to be the responsible one, go. Be responsible. I’m just not going to stand here and play my part anymore.”

With that, I turned and walked into the bedroom, closing the door firmly behind me.

The moment the door clicked shut, my legs gave out and I slid down the cool wood panel to the floor.

Only then did I let myself cry.

I looked down at the crumpled report, then laid my other hand over my flat stomach. There was a child in there. My child.

Three years ago, when Jake proposed, I could hardly believe it.

At the time, my father had all but finalized my engagement to the founder of a Silicon Valley tech company. It wasn’t the life I wanted; it felt more like a merger than a marriage.

The person I wanted had always been Jake.

A recently retired Marine sergeant whose eyes always seemed to hold the ghosts of war.

I thought I had no choice but to bow to my family’s wishes. But the day before my engagement was to be announced, Jake showed up with a ring he’d polished from an old shell casing and asked me to marry him.

I said yes without a second thought.

I fought with my father to cancel the engagement, resigned my seat on the family foundation’s board, and walked away from a future that had been meticulously planned for me.

Back then, I thought marrying Jake was worth any price.