Chapter 2 - The Woman in 15C
Vivian sat perfectly still as the plane climbed, her mind racing through excuses. Maybe it was a joke. Maybe 15C was a relative. Maybe "love" meant something completely innocent in this context.
But some part of her already knew the truth before she let herself think it.
Once the seatbelt sign clicked off, she stood and walked toward the back like she was heading to the restroom. Passing row 15, she let her eyes flick sideways toward the seat.
The woman in 15C was young, blonde, and beautiful. And one hand rested gently on a clear, unmistakable pregnancy bump.
Vivian nearly lost her footing in the aisle.
She locked herself in the restroom and broke down as quietly as she could manage. Her lipstick was still perfect. The red dress still looked beautiful in the mirror. But the woman staring back at her looked like someone who'd dressed for a celebration and accidentally walked straight into the end of her own life instead.
By the time the plane landed, something inside her had gone cold and very, very calm.
She followed the pregnant woman through the terminal at a distance. The woman didn't head toward baggage claim. She walked straight toward the crew corridor instead.
Moments later, Grant appeared.
His whole face lit up the second he spotted her. He walked right up, put a hand on her waist, and kissed her.
That was the exact moment Vivian stopped trying to bargain with reality.
She stepped forward and tapped him on the shoulder. When Grant turned around, every drop of color drained out of his face.
"Happy anniversary," Vivian said.
"Vivian? What are you doing here?"
"I came to surprise you." She held his eyes. "Looks like I'm the one who got surprised instead."
The other woman glanced between them, then said, almost casually, "So this is the wife you're about to divorce? Did you already give her the papers?"
Vivian felt the last piece of her marriage collapse all at once.
Grant hadn't just cheated on her.
He'd already planned the entire ending, start to finish, without a single word to her.
The woman's name was Paige, and she knew everything. She knew Vivian existed. She knew Grant had been waiting until after this exact anniversary to end things, specifically so he wouldn't look quite so cruel doing it.
Grant tried to start explaining. Vivian just raised a hand.
"No. You don't get to explain something just because I happened to catch you."
She pulled off her wedding ring, pressed it into his palm, and closed his fingers around it herself.
"Don't come home," she said. "Send the divorce papers. Text me wherever you want your things shipped."
May you like
Then she turned to Paige. "Congratulations," she said quietly. "You get to have him without hiding anymore."
And she walked away.
