Chapter 1: The Front Seat Test

Michael Jennings picked me up that afternoon, but this time, his new secretary rode shotgun.

I reached for the car door, but froze. Sunlight caught Laura’s chestnut hair, making her look even more perfect. She was young, beautiful, nails a glossy pale pink, clutching a designer tote like a shield. My grip on the car door tightened until my knuckles ached.

"Hi, Mrs. Jennings."

Laura smiled politely, not moving from her seat. The faint scent of Starbucks coffee lingered in the cup holder, mixing with her floral perfume and the leather interior. I forced myself to nod, jaw clenched.

Michael, already on a call, was drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, SiriusXM set to a business news channel. He seemed oblivious to the tension.

We’d planned for this charity auction together—I’d picked my outfit for him. I never imagined anyone else would be in his passenger seat.

Now my sapphire earrings felt heavy and pointless. What was the point of all the careful details?

"Hi, Mrs. Jennings. I’m Laura Bennett. I’m Mr. Jennings’s new assistant."

Her smile was warm, dimples deep, confidence radiating like someone fresh out of college. I could see my own reflection in her eager eyes.

"I asked Mr. Jennings if I could tag along and see how these auctions work. I promise I won’t be in the way."

My heart plummeted. The blow felt almost physical, like a cold stab beneath my ribs. Even after all these years, the little humiliations still caught me off guard.

Michael and I were always about appearances, careful boundaries, and distance. Our marriage was a business alliance first, a romance second—if at all.

People joked I’d be a living widow. It stung then, less now. I’d learned to use humor as armor.

But Michael used to hold me at night, his eyes going soft and red in rare, vulnerable moments. He once whispered, "You’re my wife. We’re a team—of course you’re different from everyone else."

That line used to mean everything. I held onto it during all those lonely nights waiting up for him.

But today, something had changed.