Upstairs, in the master bedroom closet, I found Daniel’s suitcases, already packed and tucked away, ready for his departure tomorrow. His predictability almost made me laugh—he was meticulous about his wardrobe but reckless with what mattered. My phone buzzed with messages from friends at the restaurant, from Sophia, and from Daniel’s sister, Claire, who’d flown in for the graduation. I answered only Sophia.
— I’m okay, sweetheart. This isn’t your weight to carry. Enjoy your day. We’ll talk tonight. I love you.
I’d shielded Sophia from the truth for months, unwilling to mar her final semester with family turmoil. She’d be upset I hadn’t confided in her, but I trusted she’d understand in time. Sophia had inherited my pragmatism and her father’s charm—a potent mix that earned her honors at graduation.
Three hours later, Daniel’s car roared into the driveway. The front door crashed open.
— Lauren! — he bellowed, his voice reverberating through the house. — Where are you?
I was in the living room, reviewing files on my laptop. I closed it as he stormed in, face red, clutching the envelope.
— What is this? — he demanded, brandishing the papers. — Divorce papers? Today, of all days?
— I thought it complemented your plans, — I said calmly. — You wanted a new life. I’m just easing the transition.
— You had no right— — he began.
— I had every right, — I cut in, voice steady. — Just as you had every right to choose Jessica. We all make choices, Daniel.
— The prenup’s expired, — he said, a smug edge to his tone. — Any lawyer will tell you that.
I smiled faintly. — Actually, it hasn’t. Section 12 states the fidelity clause holds for the duration of the marriage. Your lawyer should’ve clarified that. Oh, wait—you didn’t consult one, did you?
His face paled as the truth hit. The prenup he’d demanded to protect his potential fortune would now strip him of nearly everything—the house, our Tybee Island retreat, his share of our retirement funds. His grand restaurant announcement had become the costliest mistake of his life.
— You can’t do this, — he said, slumping onto the sofa. — We built this life together.
— And you chose to dismantle it, — I replied. — Just not in the way you expected.
His phone buzzed incessantly in his pocket. He glanced at it, then ignored it—Jessica, no doubt, wondering why he wasn’t following their script.
— You’ve always been so calculated, Lauren. This is ruthless, — he said, trying a new tack. — What about our history? Twenty-eight years means nothing?
I studied him, this man I’d loved for nearly three decades. The man who held my hand through two miscarriages before Sophia’s birth. The man who surprised me with a weekend in Savannah for our tenth anniversary. When had he changed? Or had I been too devoted to see him clearly?
— Our history meant everything, — I said honestly. — That’s why your betrayal cut so deeply.
His expression softened, sensing an opportunity. — Then maybe we can fix this. I messed up. People mess up.
— This wasn’t a slip, Daniel. This was a year-long scheme. You moved our money. You shopped for property with her. You planned to humiliate me publicly.
His face hardened. — You’re blowing this out of proportion.
— Am I? — I opened my phone’s recording app and played his voice. — After the graduation, I’ll tell her it’s over. Public’s better—she won’t make a scene. — Then Jessica’s voice. — She has no clue about the money? — Daniel again. — None. Lauren trusts me completely. That’s her flaw.
His face drained of color. — You recorded us? That’s illegal!
— Not in South Carolina when one party consents, — I said. — And not in our home. I didn’t record your intimate moments with Jessica. I’m not vicious. Just your plans to deceive me.
He stood abruptly, pacing. — I need to make calls.
— Start with your attorney, — I suggested. — I’ll be at Claire’s tonight.
— Claire’s? — he sputtered. — My sister’s?
— She’s quite upset with you, — I said. — She saw you with Jessica last Thanksgiving. Confronted you. You swore it was nothing, that you’d end it. When she realized you lied, she came to me.
His jaw tightened—another betrayal he hadn’t foreseen. Claire and I had always been close, but he never imagined she’d side with me.
— Everyone’s turning on me, — he muttered.
— Ironic, isn’t it? — I picked up my purse and a small overnight bag I’d packed earlier. — You have until tomorrow evening to clear out your things. After that, the locks change.
As I reached the door, he called out, desperation in his voice. — What about Sophia? Have you considered her in all this?
I paused, anger piercing my calm. — Don’t you dare hide behind our daughter. You weren’t thinking of her when you planned your beachside life with Jessica.