Chapter 2
There was a pause on the other end, then Nolan’s deep voice came through:[]
“Two weeks, Whitakers are gone. I’ll be there to get you.”
Genesis was stunned for half a second, then actually laughed out loud.
She hadn’t even said anything yet, and this guy already knew she was ready to leave.
And damn it, he was right.
“Okay.”
With Nolan’s connections, two weeks from now Isaiah could tear the whole damn country apart and still never find her.
Genesis didn’t reply to any of Isaiah’s messages that night.||
Isaiah was genuinely panicking. He left work early, caught the first flight back, and practically burst through their front door–then froze dead. in his tracks. The anxiety in his eyes mehed away.
In the warm glow of the living room lights, Genesis sat on the couch watching TV.
“Gen? How’d you get back?” He rushed over. “I sent you like a million texts…”
Before he could finish, he pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on top of her head Thank God you’re okay. I was so scared… Gen, I can’t lose you-
The love in his eyes was real
Genesis knew he genuinely loved her. But she also knew his love wasn’t hers alone.
She felt the sob rising in her throat and dug her nails into her palm to push it down
For a split second, she almost spilled everything. But then she killed that impulse
If she said anything now, she’d never be able to leave.
T
She gently pulled away from his embrace, keeping her voice steady: “Race got postponed. Phone died, didn’t see your messages.”
Isaiah didn’t catch the storm brewing under that calm surface. He smiled and brushed away her tears gently:
“Hey, it’s okay, baby. No tears, alright? You know I could never be upset with you.”
“You hungry?” He jingled his car keys, his dress shirt and slacks making him look sharp as holl, jacket casually draped over his arm. “I booked that steakhouse you’ve been wanting to try. Come on, princess, let’s go celebrate.”
He held out his hand, palm up
Genesis stared at that hand and suddenly felt transported.]
She was righteen again, standing by the basketball court. The boy in the sweat–soaked white tee had reached out the same way, basketball tucked under his other arm, grinning even brighter than now: “Come on, princess, today’s my treat!“]]
Back then, she was the only one in his heart
Genesis wasn’t about to let her stomach suffer, so she followed him to the restaurant.
He was the same as always. This guy who never served anyone else was rolling up his sleeves, carefully cutting her steak, making sure she got the best bites first.]]
Her plate was perfectly arranged when his phone suddenly rang, snapping her back to reality.[]
If not for that damn ringtone, she might’ve fallen back into that fake fairy tale of love
“Go ahead, answer it.”
She kept her head down, poking at her steak with a fork.
Isaiah glanced at his phone, murmured something sweet to her, then got up to take the call outside.
When he came back, his eyes were full of panic and apology:
“Babe, I’m so sorry–there’s an emergency at the hospital I really gotta bounce. Can’t believe I’m bailing on dinner like this… How about tomorrow? I’ll clear my whole schedule, just you and me
Genesis had already seen the caller ID, but she didn’t call out his lie, just nodded: “Okay, go ahead
With her permission, Isaiah didn’t stick around. He turned and walked out of the restaurant||
Looking at the empty seat across from her, Genesis felt like someone was jabbing needles into her chest, sending waves of numbness through her heart.
She’d just pulled herself together and reached for her fork when Sadie’s video call popped up.
She declined it. Sadie called again. After a dozen rounds of this, Genesis finally answered.]]
Sadie wore that disgusting innocent smile:
“Oh Genesis, honey, you’re not dining alone at that cute little steakhouse, are you? I was wondering why someone came home tonight smelling like garlic bread“]
She emphasized “home” with extra venom, and Genesis caught every hit of poison in her voice
Genesis’s voice turned ice cold: “Cut the act, Sadie. You’re being childish.“||
“You seem to forget that lin Mrs. Merrick here. Wanna guess who Isaiah would pick if sent him all our messages?”
Something flickered in Sadie’s eyes, but her smile bounced right back: “Oh please, go ahead. Don’t you hang up on me I’m dying to see who’s really the pathetic one here.”
Genesis couldn’t explain why, but she didn’t hang up.
Soon enough, Isaiah appeared in the frame]
Sadie immediately melted against his chest like butter, perfectly blocking his view of the phone screen
“Isaiah… Are you still upset about me leaving you for that guy? I mean, if I’d never run away like that… you never would’ve settled for her, right? You would’ve married me instead, right?
Isaiah’s jaw tightened: “What’s the point of all these what if?”
“I’m just asking…….” Sadie’s eyes welled up, her voice getting smaller. “I didn’t mean anything by it…
After a few seconds of silence, Genesis watched Isaiah open his mouth, his voice rough: “Yeah.”
So even back then, his heart had never been hers alone.]
She suddenly remembered their wedding day.
Isaiah had held her hand in front of all their guests and sworn on his beloved grandmother’s memory||
“1. Isaiah Merrick, swear that for the rest of my life, past and future, I will love only Genesis. My heart, my money, my life–it’s all hers.“[]
“She can be stubborn, she can make mistakes, she can even stop loving me or fall for someone else, as long as she never leaves me.“||
She’d cried her eyes out that day, thinking she’d found the truest love in the world.
Now she understood–those vows had been bullshit from day one.]]
She’d never been his one and only. Not back then, not now, and sure as hell not in the future]
She was nothing more than a tool in his little grudge match with Sadie. He just got used to having her around. A backup plan he’d gotten comfortable with over the years. Not love just convenience.
Genesis forced out an ugly
out an ugly smile. The harder she smiled, the faster her tears fell
She’d thought she’d had at least one moment of that burning, all–consuming love. But never–from start to finish, she’d been nothing but a fraud living a stolen life.]
She dropped her head and clutched her chest, trying to catch her breath
nto the table, one by one
But the sob in her throat wouldn’t go down. She could only let her tears fall onto
Isaiah didn’t come home that night||
Instead, Genesis got a photo of him sleeping–sent by Sadie
She stared at his face until sunrise, until her heart finally went dead quiet.[]
She picked up her phone and called her lawyer friend Natalie
“Nat I need a divorce. Can you help me with the papers?”
