Elodie felt as if a fist had closed hard around her heart, draining what little color remained from her cheeks.

The air conditioning kept the house at a perfect temperature year-round, yet at this moment, she could have sworn she was trapped inside a walk-in freezer.

She stayed silent. After several seconds, Jarrod finally looked away from her face. "Sylvie's mother is getting worse. Her only wish is to see her daughter taken care of, to feel she isn't alone. Just keep your head down and be a good Mrs. Silverstein. I won't touch you."

He made his infidelity sound almost noble.

Won't touch her?

Elodie stood there, stunned, for a long moment then suddenly let out a laugh, struggling to keep the ache out of her voice. "If she needs someone at her side, you shouldn't be here with me. You really shouldn't."

With that, she turned and headed upstairs, shutting the door behind her without a trace of warmth.

A few minutes later, she heard an engine start downstairs. Jarrod was gone. She didn't have to guess where he'd gone-Sylvie was waiting.

Exhausted, Elodie dragged herself to the bathroom and splashed her face with icy water. The shock of it sharpened her senses, but did nothing to steady her heart.

She set up her laptop and contacted a lawyer she'd added on LinkedIn three years ago, asking for help drafting divorce papers.

"Ms. Thorne, do you have any special requirements?" the lawyer asked. "Property, car, alimony?"

then answered, voice calm. "I want

didn't want Jarrod. Why would she

she'd read online that when you ask for nothing, the paperwork goes through quicker. That meant she wouldn't have

sent over the completed agreement

she signed her

nursing the pain in her side, she packed

door, she looked back at the home she'd tended for three

out without

Elodie called in sick, then arranged for a courier to deliver the signed divorce papers to

trivial things like mail, so she addressed the package to Keith, his

working at The Silverstein

allow her near him at work. Instead, he

a single sick day

even professionalism-it was just

she'd decided to leave him, there was no reason to stay at

Elodie checked the

fingers into a fist. She had something far more important to

now.

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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