Chapter 6
Eliza Dunlap POV:
He came home one evening without warning, striding into the master bedroom where I was sketching at my new drafting table. He was holding a half-packed suitcase. I hadn't even known he was in the house.
He stopped short when he saw me, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He hadn' t expected me to be here. He' d clearly come to pack for the "business retreat" with Isla, assuming the house would be empty.
"Eliza," he said, his voice hesitant. He struggled for a moment, his jaw tight. It was clear he was trying to figure out how to navigate this unexpected confrontation.
"The team retreat is this weekend," he said finally, his body tense. "I was wondering… if you' d like to come."
His posture was rigid, his words clipped. He was extending an invitation, but his entire being screamed that he was hoping I'd say no.
I felt a laugh bubble up from my chest, a genuine, unrestrained sound of amusement. The absurdity of it all was just too much.
His tension visibly increased at my laughter. He looked like a man cornered.
A wicked little thought sparked in my mind. For three years, I had been the compliant, understanding wife. It was time for a change.
"I'd love to," I said, my voice bright and cheerful.
Atticus froze. He stared at me, his mouth slightly agape, a look of pure, unadulterated panic in his eyes. He knew I didn't fit into his world of corporate sharks and old-money heirs. He had counted on me to politely decline, to spare him the awkwardness of my presence.
His invitation had been a mere formality, a performance of a husbandly duty he felt obligated to fulfill. He never dreamed I would actually accept.
The panic in his eyes quickly morphed into frustration. He bent down and started pulling clothes out of the suitcase, throwing them back into the closet with jerky, angry movements.
He didn't look at me. He couldn't.
"Actually, something's come up," he said, his voice tight with barely concealed rage. "A last-minute emergency at the office. I can't go anymore."
He straightened up, finally turning to face me. "So, you shouldn't go either." It was an order, not a suggestion.
"Oh," I said simply, my voice devoid of any emotion. I turned back to my drafting table, picked up my glass of water, and took a slow sip.
I heard him hesitate for a moment, waiting for a reaction, for the argument he was clearly spoiling for. When none came, he let out an exasperated sigh and stormed out of the room.
A few minutes later, I heard the sound of his sports car roaring to life in the driveway. I walked to the window just in time to see him tiptoeing down the front steps, carrying his hastily repacked suitcase, before disappearing into the night.
He was still going. He had just needed to get me out of the way.
I remembered how he used to worry that my middle-class manners would embarrass him in front of his friends. Now, it was different. Now, he was afraid I would interrupt the next chapter of his love story with Isla.
I watched the red taillights of his car fade into the distance.
How much longer, Atticus? I thought, a strange sense of calm settling over me. How much longer until you ask for a divorce?
I was ready.
Chapter 7
Eliza Dunlap POV:
The next evening, my phone buzzed with an Instagram notification. It was a story from Isla. A story that was set to be visible only to me.
She was getting bolder.
I opened it, my heart a steady, rhythmic drum against my ribs. My hand was perfectly still.
The video was shaky, clearly filmed by someone in a group. It showed a circle of people gathered around a crackling bonfire, set against the backdrop of a luxurious campsite. I recognized the faces-the "core team" from Atticus's company, all with their partners. Couples.
Then the camera panned to Atticus and Isla, standing slightly apart from the others. They were the only two without their respective spouses.
Someone off-camera, one of Isla's cousins who worked at the company, shouted, "Hey, Isla, you're so scared of the dark! I guess you and Atticus will have to share a tent tonight!"
A round of knowing laughter rippled through the group.
Isla's brother, standing nearby, watched them with a quiet, knowing smirk. "Atticus, my man," he said, loud enough for the camera to pick up, "you better behave yourself."
Atticus just laughed, a confident, dismissive sound. He didn't deny it. He didn't correct them.
Instead, he turned to the large, two-person tent behind him and decisively pulled back the flap. He looked directly at Isla, his eyes glowing with an intensity in the firelight that I hadn't seen directed at me in years. It was a look of pure, unadulterated desire.
"Come on," he said, his voice a low command. "Get in. I'll stay with you."
The video ended.
I watched it again. And again. Then, I saved it to my phone. I went back to Isla's story and pressed the little heart icon. I liked it. Let her know I'd seen it. Let them both know.
This was it. The final line had been crossed. This was no longer just an emotional affair, a flirtation fueled by boredom and nostalgia. This was a deliberate, public declaration.
Was a marriage without trust, without respect, without even the basic courtesy of discretion, worth saving?
I stayed up all night, the question turning over and over in my mind. The image of him holding that tent flap open for her was burned into my memory.
By the time the sun began to cast a pale, gray light into the room, my decision was made. It was as clear and solid as a block of granite.
I packed a single suitcase, leaving behind the designer gowns and jewels of Mrs. Atticus Monroe. I packed my own clothes, my sketchbooks, and my laptop.
Then, I drove to the small, sunlit apartment I had bought with my own money before I ever met him. My sanctuary. My escape plan.
It took him two days to notice I was gone.
My phone finally rang on the third day. "Liza? Where are you?" he asked, his voice laced with confusion and a hint of irritation. There was no apology, no explanation for his weekend. Just the expectation that I would be where he had left me.
"I'm not at the house," I said calmly.
"Well, I can see that," he said, his patience already wearing thin. "Stay where you are. I'll come pick you up."
"There's no need," I said. "But if you want to talk, you can come here."
I gave him the address.
Then I sat on my sofa, in my own apartment, surrounded by my own things, and waited for my husband to arrive so I could end our marriage.
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