Chapter 4

After we were discharged from the hospital, Abby and I rented a small apartment downtown.

We couldn't bring ourselves to step foot back into those toxic suburban houses.

We spent a week in our new place, enjoying the quiet.

During that entire week, neither of them called. No texts, no check-ins. They didn't care.

Maybe this was what they wanted all along. Freedom.

One evening, we were lying in bed scrolling through TikTok.

Suddenly, Abby gasped.

"Oh my god, Chloe, look at this!"

She shoved her screen in front of my face. It was Mia's TikTok account.

She had posted a photo of the three of them on a tropical beach.

Zachary was on her left, holding her designer beach bag. Ethan was on her right, holding an umbrella to shade her from the sun. Mia was in the middle, throwing her head back with a radiant smile.

The caption read: *"True friendship transcends gender."*

She tagged it: `#SwimmingCoach #Therapist #PureFriendship #Besties`.

If there was a global championship for being absolute trash, these three would easily take the crown.

The comment section was flooded with envious replies:

*"Omg girl, you are eating so well! Living the dream!"*

*"Manifesting a hot coach and a handsome therapist in my life ASAP."*

*"This is literal fanfiction material."*

I stared at the screen, silent.

Even though I had already checked out of the marriage, seeing my husband play puppy dog to another woman while I was recovering from a miscarriage still felt like a physical blow to the chest.

Abby was practically hyperventilating next to me.

"Unbelievable. It hasn't even been a week, and they're already parading her around?"

I shook my head, trying to sound indifferent. "It’s fine. It doesn't concern us anymore. But they probably haven't received the divorce papers yet."

We had hired a lawyer to draft the papers a few days ago, but since they were busy vacationing, the delivery must have failed.

Abby tapped her phone screen and said, "Let's go find them tomorrow. Mia's TikTok says they’re landing back in the city tomorrow morning."

"Okay," I agreed. It was time to end this.

Since Ethan's therapy clinic was closer to our apartment, we decided to drop by his office first.

The receptionist let us through, and we walked down the hallway to Ethan’s private room.

When we pushed the door open, we caught Mia sitting right on the edge of Ethan's desk, her fingers playfully tracing his jawline.

The sexual tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Abby, never one to hold back, marched straight up to them and slapped Mia across the face.

"Have you no shame? Do you only get off on married men, or did your TikTok fans forget to mention you like playing with brothers?"

Mia’s cheek flushed bright red, and she gasped, clutching her face.

"You—"

Ethan reacted instantly, stepping in front of Mia like a protective guard dog.

"Are you insane?! Abby, you are seriously mentally unstable! Apologize to Mia right now!"

Abby stared at him, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"I will never apologize to this bitch!"

Ethan's face contorted with rage, and he raised his hand to strike Abby.

I lunged forward, grabbing his wrist and shoving him back.

"Don't you dare touch her! You're going to hit your wife for some home-wrecking trash? Do you hear yourself?!"

Before I could finish, Ethan’s phone began to ring.

He swiped to answer, his voice dripping with venom.

"Zach, your wife just dragged Abby to my clinic. They’re making a huge scene, screaming and throwing dirt at me and Mia."

He clicked the speakerphone and shoved the screen toward my face.

"Your husband wants to talk to you."

The second I took the phone, Zachary’s furious voice screamed through the speaker.

"Chloe, you are unbelievable! How dare you show up at my brother's workplace and cause a scene? If you don't care about your reputation, we care about ours!"

"I have told you a thousand times, Mia is just a friend! If you want to keep being a paranoid psycho, that's your problem!"

"Go back to the house right now. Stop testing my patience before I lose my temper. People are going to think I married a trailer-trash shrew!"

Hearing Zachary defend her, Mia sniffled softly, playing the innocent victim.

"Chloe, please don't be mad. We really are just friends. If my presence makes you uncomfortable, I'll just stay away from now on..."

I couldn't stand her fake, dripping-sweet voice for another second.

"Shut up, Mia. Stop flattering yourself," I snapped. "We didn't come here to catch you in the act. We came to get a divorce."

The room fell dead silent.