When I was eighteen, I walked in on Connor Walker helping a scholarship student with her bra strap. He was a boy then, his expression serious, his movements clu- msy and hesitant, the tips of his ears flushed scarlet. Eight years later, at twenty–six, I married Connor, a union mandated by our families. Yet, I was keenly aware of the whispers in Manhattan’s elite circles – how a portrait of that scholarship student was locked away in his study.
Three years into our marriage, I suggested divorce. He signed the papers after a long, heavy silence. “If you ever need anything,” he’d said, his voice quiet, “don’t hesi-
tate to ask.”
Later, I walked into a gala, hand–in–hand with my law firm’s new partner. My best friend, Mark, teased, “You two were locked in a fierce debate in college, now who’d have thought you’d be intertwined like this?”
Deep into the night, Connor’s number lit up my phone. “You insisted on that riverfront condo because you can see his law firm from there?”
1
Outside, the raw wind howled, but inside, the apartment was bathed in a comforting warmth. Across from me on the sofa, Connor sat, impeccably dressed in a sharp suit, his long frame lean, his face still etched with the same strong lines as when he was eighteen. Only the fresh cut above his brow stood out, a jarring spla-
sh of red.
–
An hour earlier, the precinct had called Connor had been in a fight. When I arrived, Chloe Davis, our old high school classmate, was cradling his face, meticulously cleaning the wound. She looked up, startled, a wild bird, and flinched away. Connor immediately pulled her behind him, shielding her. “She’s easily spooked. Don’t
scare her.”
I said nothing, simply followed the officer to complete the paperwork. By the time I returned, Chloe was gone. On the drive home, Connor was on the phone the entire way, his voice soft, almost caressing, as he soothed the person on the other end. I had never seen him like that–his eyes gentle, filled with doting affection, utterly focused. Every ounce of his patience was reserved for Chloe.
The thought of divorce, sharp and clear, sparked in my mind at that very moment.
