Chapter 6: Out of the House

I still had a few businesses managed by Mark. Old family stores downtown, a small cafe on Main Street, a boutique with my name still on the lease.

The managers were still my people, but in recent years, all the business was reported to Mark’s men. The sense of control I once had had slipped away, piece by piece.

"Ma’am, you want to take back the shops? That’s great! When you were in charge, business was better!"

Doug, the manager of the jewelry store, handed over all the account books—except one, which he set aside.

"This is for Miss Lane. She owes us a lot. Mr. Harris said... just forget it!"

Doug looked embarrassed. He avoided my gaze, shuffling his feet.

The bell over the jewelry store door jingled, and the smell of lemon cleaner hit me as I stepped inside. I looked through the accounts.

Dana Lane owed over a thousand dollars, treating the store like her own jewelry box! Diamond earrings, silk scarves, little things adding up. My stomach twisted with anger.

"What Mark says doesn’t count. Record it all. When the time comes, make her pay!"

Doug grinned and agreed. "You got it!" He winked, a glimmer of the old loyalty still there.

I took an Uber home. Mark was waiting for me. The porch light was on, casting long shadows across the front steps.

"The staff told me you took back the businesses. What are you doing? Planning to split the family?"

I walked past him, ignoring his words. My keys clattered in my hand, a small act of defiance.

"Shannon, after all these years, you’re still so jealous and controlling! I just want another wife, and you stir up trouble, making a scene!"

Mark’s voice dropped, low and dangerous. He blocked my path with his arm, tension thrumming in the air between us.

Mark moved his things to the guest room. The slam of his suitcase was the sound of our marriage ending.

I went back to my suite, packed with Hannah, and prepared to move to the new house after today. Boxes piled up by the door—one marked "Memories," taped twice for good measure.

In the afternoon, I went to eat.

But saw Dana Lane and Mark sitting together, Carter and Brooke seated with them, lively as a family. Their laughter drifted through the doorway, bright and sharp.

I didn’t want to disturb them. I lingered by the stairs, out of sight.

Mark called to me coldly, "Come eat. What are you pretending for?"

Carter stood up.

"Mom, Dad already filed for Dana to be our stepmom. We’re all family!"

He already called her stepmom. The word stung, raw and final.

Brooke echoed, "Yeah, Mom, sit down. Why are you mad? There are plenty of days ahead!"

Dana Lane quietly ate, glancing up at me, a slow smile spreading across her lips. Her eyes glittered with triumph.

It was July, the sun blazing, yet looking at the scene inside, I felt chilled to the bone. The hum of the air conditioner couldn’t thaw the ice in my chest.