Prologue

October

I loved him with everything I had. From the moment I was a teenager scribbling his name in my notebooks, to the nights I waited up for him with cold dinners and colder silences. He was my first everything-my husband, the father of my children, the quiet love of my life. I built our world with devotion, patience, and hope. But love isn't always enough, especially when you're competing with someone who seems to get the version of him you used to dream of.

I told myself he'd remember me. That one day he'd see me again. But the truth is, he already looked away-months ago. And I let it happen. Until my children saw it too. Until I couldn't unsee it.