The Stand-In Game

Seeing Andrew and Ivy in each other's arms, I felt pain shot through me, rib by rib, until it bit down on my heart. I swayed, on the verge of passing out. Little by little, the pain leveled into a quiet numbness.

I gave up on Andrew for good. I turned away in disappointment, and even though I kept my shoulders squared, I knew I had already lost.

…

By evening, I had pulled myself together and gone home, only to find Ivy curled up in my bed. I stopped cold when I realized she was wearing my red dress.

She tilted a knowing smile and said, "Oh, please. Know your place. Clinging to Andrew won't get you anywhere. Be sensible. Walk away and keep what dignity you have left."

Then she wrinkled her nose at me. "You're insufferable. You even copied my style."

My face slackened for a beat. After a moment of silence, I blinked, and my vision cleared. Whatever confusion I had had was gone.

With Andrew bringing Ivy into our home, there was no point in keeping up the act.

I tore the love-token necklace from my neck, slipped off the heirloom bracelet and my wedding ring, and set them on the table. With that, I turned and left without a backward glance.

I had planned to pack a few more things, but there was no need anymore. Everything here carried Andrew's presence, and taking any of these things with me would only make my skin crawl whenever I saw them.

I called my best friend, Olivia Brewer, and said firmly, "Book me a flight."

After a beat, something in me loosened, and I added, "Starting today, I'm no longer Mrs. Connolly. I'm just me."

…

I stayed in a hotel for over a week, waiting out the divorce. I knew Andrew had received the divorce papers and had torn them up angrily.

He probably told himself I was only acting out, so he refused to divorce me. He knew I wasn't at home, but still didn't bother to look for me.

I knew he had been spending his days with Ivy and had no intention of dealing with me. Either way, I was past caring.

I didn't flare up even when the gossip sites reported that he and Ivy were joined at the hip, and the comments called them a perfect match. I stayed calm.

Andrew was extremely sharp. He neither confirmed nor denied anything, even with people everywhere speculating about them. With nothing to latch onto, the talk would blow over, and everything would settle again.

I sorted out my assets and cashed them out. I was getting ready to move abroad.

The day before I was set to leave, I spotted Ivy lurking at the hotel entrance and couldn't tell what she was up to. Curiosity got the better of me, so I followed her.

She led me to an abandoned warehouse, where she stopped, turned, and smiled at me. "You tailed me all the way. Here's your big surprise!"

A prickle of alarm ran through me, and I turned to go. An instant later, something thudded hard against the wall behind me.

I whipped around to find Ivy sprawled where she had fallen, blood running down her forehead. The sight sent a chill down my spine.

As confusion needled at me, footsteps pounded up behind. Andrew swept in with his bodyguards in tow, all of them wound tight.

I started to speak when he reached me and slapped me. The blow rang in my skull.

I caught myself against the wall and steadied, just in time to see him lunge for Ivy and scoop her into his arms, his face drawn tight with pain.

"Babe, are you okay?"

Ivy nodded weakly against his chest.

Andrew let out a breath, guilt thick in it. "It's my fault. I should've protected you. I let that bitch abduct you."

His voice settled into a vow. "Don't worry. You won't get hurt again. I'll protect you."

When he was done, he faced me, cold as stone. His eyes widened as if he were searching for recognition but finding none.

"How dare you abduct her? Take her and beat her senseless!"