"Look at what you've done. If you hadn't thrown that tantrum, Rebecca never would have sprained her ankle."
"Go home by yourself. I'm taking her to the hospital."
"You'd better pray her foot is fine."
With that, Mick scooped Rebecca into his arms and walked away without a backward glance.
I stood there alone, watching until they disappeared from sight.
I stared down the empty street, my nose stinging, tears threatening to fall.
It's too late at night. It's not safe for a girl to be out alone.
That was what he'd said about her. But what about me? Was I safe?
When I got home, my gaze landed on the suitcase.
Then I'll leave tonight. Mick wouldn't be coming back anyway.
Before I left, I went to the study, printed out a divorce agreement, signed my name, and placed it on the coffee table in the living room.
Goodbye, Mick.
My sister lived abroad year-round. I had no other place to stay in the country, so all I could do was check into a hotel and wait for her to come get me.
Too much had happened today. Sleep was the furthest thing from my mind.
I pulled out my phone and opened a short-video app, only to notice an unread message in my inbox.
I tapped it. An account I didn't recognize had shared a video with me.
In the video, Mick sat beside a hospital bed, gently cradling a foot and blowing softly on it.
The toenails were painted a delicate pink. Unmistakably a woman's foot.
I scrolled to the comments.
"Only Rebecca could make our Mr. Graves this worried, huh?"
"What happened to Rebecca? A night like this should be worth a fortune, but that looks like a hospital?"
"Bro, you clearly don't get it. Looks like things got a little too intense tonight—had to take it all the way to the ER, lol."
…
After reading those comments, there was nothing left for me to misunderstand.
Rebecca and Mick's relationship had been an open secret for a long time.
I was the only one who hadn't known.
I watched the man in the video, brow furrowed, blowing gently on that foot, and my heart sank. Then it sank further.
On our wedding day, when he'd come to take me to the ceremony, Mick had kissed the top of my foot and made me a solemn vow, word by word.
"The kiss on the foot means that every road in this life, I will walk beside you."
"Madeline, I, Mick Graves, swear I will never betray you."
"In this life. In every life."
Three years ago, he had done that for me and carried me into our home as his bride.
Three years later, he was doing it for Rebecca. And I had already left that home.
A bitter smile tugged at the corner of my lips. I typed Congratulations in the comment section, then locked my phone.
I stayed in that hotel for two full days.
Early on the morning of the third day, I was jolted awake by heavy pounding on the door.
I opened it. Standing in the hallway was Mick.
The moment he saw it was me, his face went dark. He shoved past me into the room, eyes scanning every corner as if searching for something.
"I checked the location on your phone. You've been at a hotel these past few days, haven't you?"
"Where is he? Where's the guy you're screwing?"
"I have to hand it to you, Madeline. The second I walk out the door, you run off to get a room with someone else. I really underestimated you."
Mick and I had shared the same phone account for years. I'd completely forgotten he could track my location.
His words hit me like a slap, and I snapped.
"Mick, don't be so disgusting! Just because you're garbage doesn't mean the rest of the world is dirty too!"
"Get out! Get the hell out of here!"
He searched the room thoroughly. Only after he'd confirmed there wasn't a single trace of another man did his tone soften.
