chapter4

Monday morning, I pushed an encrypted USB drive across Meredith's office desk. It was light, yet it held the entire truth of my five-year marriage.

"It's all in here." My voice sounded tired. "The drawing, photos, recordings, emails. And this."

I placed the signed draft of the divorce agreement next to the USB drive. My name was signed at the bottom, the strokes stiff.

Meredith picked up the agreement and flipped through it, her expression serious. "He'll fight over assets. Especially company equity."

"Let him fight." I said. "But the evidence about the child is enough to make the court favor me. I never wanted his money, Meredith. I want him to lose."

"Are you sure?"

I opened my phone and turned the screen toward her. It showed a confirmation email from an airline, a one-way ticket to Rome tomorrow night, purchased from my own account.

"I enrolled in an art restoration course in Tuscany, starting next month. I need to leave here."

Meredith looked at me for a long time, finally nodding. "Alright. Leave the rest to me. You... be careful."

"I will."

Saturday afternoon, the sun was bright. Sebastian suggested grilling in the backyard, saying he wanted to "relax."

I guessed what was coming, but I didn't say anything.

Sure enough, at three o'clock, the doorbell rang. Sebastian's parents arrived.

Five minutes later, another car stopped outside. Lilith got out, holding a beautifully wrapped bottle of red wine, smiling like she'd come for a girls' lunch.

"I hope dropping by unannounced isn't too disruptive." She said, handing the wine to Sebastian while her gaze swept over me. "Sebastian said it was a family gathering today, and I thought... the more the merrier."

My mother-in-law Caroline immediately approached, taking Lilith's hand. "Disruptive? Not at all! Dear, we're so glad you could come. That dress really suits you, such artistic flair."

Sebastian stood to the side, just smiling, offering no explanation.

At the table, Caroline's mouth never stopped. "Lilith's so young, yet she runs the gallery so impressively. Not easy. So sensible, so thoughtful. Not like some girls who only know how to enjoy themselves."

I quietly cut my steak.

"In my opinion, a family isn't complete without a child." Caroline glanced at me, then at Lilith, meaningfully. "Continuing the bloodline is what matters most. Don't you agree, Sebastian?"

Sebastian took a sip of wine, responding vaguely. "Mom, let's eat."

Lilith's face reddened, shyly lowering her head. "Caroline, you're too kind. I just... happen to like children." As she spoke, she reached for her water glass, but her elbow "accidentally" knocked over the wine glass beside her.

Deep red wine spilled out like blood, instantly soaking the scarf I'd draped over my chair—the last gift my grandmother had left me before she died, soft light gray silk with her hand-embroidered, nearly invisible irises.

The air froze.

"Oh no!" Lilith covered her mouth, eyes wide with panic. "Oh my god! Elara, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! This... this looks very valuable..."

She grabbed a napkin to wipe it, her movements clumsy, only spreading the stain further.

I stood up, watching the dark red stain rapidly spreading across the silk, feeling my heart being squeezed by a hand. That was my grandmother's scent, the last bit of warmth in my memory.

"It's fine." I heard myself say, voice eerily calm. I picked up the soaked scarf.

"Elara," Sebastian spoke up, frowning at the scarf, his tone impatient. "I've told you countless times not to bring out such delicate things. Now look what happened."

He was blaming me.

He looked at me, no regret for the heirloom in his eyes, no concern for his wife's feelings, only irritation that this "accident" had disrupted his perfect afternoon gathering.

And Lilith stood beside him, biting her lip, looking like a girl who'd made a mistake, yet her eyes darted quickly to glance at me.

Caroline smoothed things over: "Forget it, it's just a scarf. Lilith didn't mean it. Sebastian, get Lara another shawl, it'll be cool tonight."

I looked at them.

My husband, my in-laws, and my husband's mistress. They stood together, forming a natural, solid circle. And I, holding my grandmother's defiled heirloom, stood outside the circle.

A performance. Everyone knew the script except me.

But today, I understood.

"No need." I said. I took the scarf to the kitchen, gently rinsing it with cold water.

The icy water washed away the crimson wine stain, like washing away the last trace of pathetic warmth and attachment in my heart. The stain might not come out, but something else was completely washed away.

I carefully wrung out the scarf and hung it up. Then I returned to the table, smiling through the rest of that meal, listening to Caroline continue praising Lilith, listening to Sebastian discuss the company going public, as if nothing had happened.

Late that night, I locked the bedroom door.

I dragged out two large suitcases I'd prepared long ago from under the bed. I didn't take those expensive gowns and jewelry, those things belonging to "Mrs. Sebastian Thorne." I took out a small box containing my grandmother's few simple pieces of jewelry, my sketch pads, old art supplies from college, and several dog-eared books.

I carefully folded the damp scarf and placed it at the very bottom of the suitcase.

Then I began taking the clothes from the closet that belonged to "Elara"—simple, comfortable cotton shirts, jeans, old sweaters—folding them one by one and packing them.

As the suitcase slowly filled, my heart emptied bit by bit, becoming cold and hard.