Kevin Swanson had an affair with a subordinate twelve years his junior.
After I found out, he chose to come back to the family.
Until I happened to see an unsigned text on his phone.
I'm getting married tomorrow. Can you come to Harbor City to see me one last time?
It was only a three-hour drive from here to Harbor City.
If he left now, he'd get there around one in the morning.
I watched him pack his suitcase and said quietly, "That's a lot of clothes. Planning to sleep with her one more time while you're there?"
"Oh, should I grab you two a box of condoms?"
Kevin Swanson looked up. His face was tired in a way I'd never seen before.
"Roberta Henson, I already chose you. What more do you want?"
"Do you really need to drive me to my death before you're satisfied?"
——
I remembered how panicked he'd looked when I caught him and Adela Fox in that hotel room.
And I'd acted just like those wives on TV who catch their husbands cheating—tearing at them, hitting them, fueled by rage and heartbreak. I took photos of them in their shame and posted them online.
Adela lost face completely. She was fired from the company and slunk back to her hometown not long after.
Kevin lost a deal worth hundreds of thousands because of the scandal. He was let go from his director position.
And under the weight of public condemnation, he knelt before me, apologized, and came home.
After that, he did everything I asked. If I said east, he wouldn't dare go west. Even while he was starting his new company, he took over all the nighttime care for our newborn daughter so I could sleep—shouldering pressure he'd never faced before.
In just one year, despite being busy and exhausted, his new company found its footing and started to thrive. As his status rose, he looked impressive wherever he went.
As if karma had skipped right over him.
Oh, except for a few bad colds early on when he'd worked himself sick.
And this was what he called me driving him to death?
The irony.
I curled my lip. "Kevin, where do you get the nerve to say that?"
"Did you forget you swore you'd never go looking for her again?"
Kevin put his clothes back in the closet, piece by piece, and closed the suitcase.
"Roberta, it's been a while since we visited Julian Finch at the orphanage. Let's go tomorrow."
"The baby's still asleep. We should get some rest—you know how wild she gets when she's slept enough."
His face was calm, even gentle.
I dug my nails into my palms so hard they broke the skin. I didn't feel it.
I hated this. The way he dodged and deflected.
He was the one who'd done something wrong. How could he stand there so composed?
"What about Adela?" I mocked. "You love her so much—aren't you afraid she'll be heartbroken if you don't go to Harbor City? Or are you just scared that breaking your promise will bring lightning down on your head?"
His expression stayed flat.
"Roberta, those kids love the pork buns from that place in Southridge. Don't forget to pick some up tomorrow."
This was how Kevin always was.
The colder he acted on the surface, the more clearly he drew his lines, the deeper the feelings he was hiding.
It used to be that way with me. Now it was the same with Adela Fox.
I wanted to rip that mask off his face.
I pulled open the drawer and took out a stack of letters. Fighting back the nausea rising in my stomach, I read them aloud, my voice dripping with venom.
"Adela, you're like a cloud in the sky—untouched, unstained. When I see you, I finally understand that something this pure and clear can exist in this world."
"Everyone says clouds drift away. But I want to keep you tucked inside my heart, year after year, protecting you, keeping you clean and whole."
