bChapter /b13

A sudden jolt ran through the man’s chest, stopping him dead in his tracks.

Frank met her clear, unwavering gaze and, almost involuntarily, called her name. “Elissa…”

Elissa broke into a sudden, gentle smile, her voice airy and light. “Rx, Frank. Why are you so tense? I know you and Marcia have known each other for ages. It’s only natural you’re used to calling her by name.”

As the ck Mercedes glided out of the driveway, Elissa slowly sank iinto /ithe couch.

She hadn’t expected herself to act so rashly.

She’d grown used to ying the part of the sweet, agreeable wife. All she needed was to leverage Frank’s guilt and get through this divorce smoothly.

So why had she gone and asked such a pointless, self–defeating question?

Tilting her head back, she stared up at the ceiling, her eyes dry and aching.

Before she could untangle her thoughts, her phone rang. Tanya Foster’s name shed across the screen. “Elissa, feel like grabbing a drink tonight?”

“Sure,” Elissa replied quickly, then hesitated for a beat. “But it’ll have to be a bitter. I’ve got a wellness livestream to host–it’ll be over around ten.”

It was a gig for the Traditional Medicine Center–not her main job, but she’d agreed to fill in for a coworker once when they had a family emergency.

At first, she’d nned to turn it down, considering both the Murphy and Atwater families and their expectations. But after her colleague showed her how to use the beauty filter, even her own mother might not recognize her on camera.

Elissa was easy ion /ithe eyes and spoke softly, making her streams an unexpected hit.

Before long, the clinic started scheduling her to host more and more sessions.

“Alright, I’ll swing by after my shift and pick you up. Timing should work out.”

“Sounds good.”

A few more minutes of idle chat with Tanya, and Elissa felt her mood lighten.

She retreated to her room ito /ireview the evening’s talking points one more time.

If she was honest, the best thing about marrying Frank was the freedom it gave her.

Frank didn’t care what she did.

12.20

The Murphy family tried to keep her from flying too high, but now that she was officially Frank’s wife, they couldn’t monitor her every move. They had to consider the Atwaters,

after all.

So Elissa devoted herself to honing her medical skills, moonlighting at the Traditional

Medicine Center whenever her schedule allowed.

Three years of steady work had left her with a respectable savings ount.

At ten sharp, her livestream ended.

Elissa was in high spirits as she headed downstairs, just as Tanya pulled up outside.

Once she slid into the passenger seat, Tanya arched a brow. “You seem awfully chipper. The divorce going smoothly?”

“Not bad,” Elissa replied, lips curling up in a sly smile. “Definitely worth a celebratory drink.”

They reached the bar right at its busiest hour, but Tanya knew the owner and had reserved them a spot.

By the time Tanya returned from the restroom, Elissa already had a drink in hand.

Tanya grinned. “Does Frank even know you drink?”

“Of course not,” Elissa replied, tilting her head, a faint dimple appearing at the corner of her smile. “Just like I never knew who he was really in love with…”

“Kiss her! Kiss her!”

“C’mon, don’t be shy!”

“Go for it, Marcia!”

The shouts andughter spilling from the dance floor cut Elissa off mid–sentence. She nced over, and the smile on her lips froze.

Tanya followed her gaze and her face darkened. “Is that Frank?”

There, in the center of the dance floor, Frank’s sharp, striking features stood out beneath the shifting lights. He had his arms wrapped around a woman in a red dress–beautiful, captivating.

The man who was always soposed, so restrained, now watched her with a softness in his eyes Elissa had never seen.

When Tanya got a good look at the woman’s face, her jaw dropped. She looked as if her entire worldview had just imploded. “His mystery woman… is Marcia?”

Elissa drained the rest of her drink in one go, her voice rough. “I never would have

13:30

guessed, either.”

As she finished speaking, Marcia suddenly rose onto her toes and kissed Frank, who instinctively slid his arm around her waist.

A picture–perfect couple.

“Wow!”

“Marcia, you’ve got moves!”

“Frank’s not going home tonight, is he?”

Despite being older than Elissa, the group egging them on had always called her “little sis–inw,” teasing her with noisy excitement.