Chapter 2

Hailey squealed. "Mommy, I want this one!"

Kieran laughed and handed his card to the cashier.

I pulled Rosie toward the racks in the back. "Come on, let's find something you like."

She followed without a word, head down, pretending she hadn't seen anything.

We tried on a few dresses. By the time we came out, Simone and Hailey were gone.

Kieran was waiting by the register, arms crossed.

"Hailey's birthday party is pool-themed," he said. "I was just getting her a gift."

"Mm." I handed our clothes to the saleswoman. "Tell her happy birthday for me."

She started ringing us up. Kieran grabbed my wrist.

"Wren—"

The saleswoman glanced between us. "Um... are you and Mr. Mercer...?"

I smiled politely. "Just an old friend."

Something clattered behind me. I didn't turn around.

Kieran's voice was tight. "What did you just say?"

I looked at him, confused. "What?"

His grip tightened. I gently pulled free, took the bag from the counter, and headed for the door.

He caught up outside, blocking my path.

"You're just going to let people think we're not married?"

"You've always been so worried about Simone's reputation." I met his eyes. "Isn't this what you wanted?"

He used to hate it when I made a scene. Said I was being difficult, that I didn't understand how hard things were for Simone. That a little kindness cost me nothing.

So now I was being kind. What was there to argue about?

Rosie needed a stable home. That was all that mattered.

He stared at me for a long moment. Said nothing.

I walked past him. "Rosie, want some ice cream?"

Her face lit up. We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering between shops—no budget, no stress, no one waiting at home to keep the peace with.

It almost felt like before.

Back when I was a full-time wife, back when everyone said I'd married well. I really believed that life would last forever.

Then Kieran's sister died.

At the funeral, Simone cried harder than anyone—harder than his mother, harder than him. She told everyone his sister had grabbed her hand and whispered one last wish: Make Kieran take care of me.

No one else heard it. Just her.

After that, Simone became someone he had to protect.

At first, I tried to be understanding. He was grieving. Simone was a connection to his sister. I told myself a good wife doesn't get jealous over kindness.

But it kept happening.

My birthday. Kieran booked a nice restaurant.

Halfway through dinner, his phone rang.

"Simone's car broke down. She's stuck on the highway alone."

He left. Just like that.

The next morning, she showed up with a homemade cake. All smiles and apologies.

Later, a message: "Sorry about your birthday dinner, Wren—my car broke down and Kieran insisted on coming. I told him you'd understand."

Rosie's preschool concert. I dressed her up, got there early, saved Kieran a seat.

He showed up after her performance ended.

"Hailey had dance class. She refused to let anyone else take her."

Message: "Hope Rosie's show went well! Kieran had to drop Hailey at her recital first—she gets so anxious without him there."

Rosie spiked a fever in the middle of the night. I called Kieran over and over. No answer.

I carried her to the ER alone.

Later, I found out he was at Simone's, fixing a burst pipe.

Message: "So sorry you couldn't reach Kieran last night—the pipe burst and he was soaked, phone got wet. Hope Rosie's feeling better now?"

Every sorry, every hope you understand—it pushed me back another step.

I kept waiting for him to see it. Kept hoping he'd notice how far I'd been pushed.

Until I finally asked him: who was his real family?