The Runaway Wife: Hiding His Secret Triplets

ry

I was an obstacle. And tonight

arted wit

ashes, dus

ming of the rain against the black umbrellas. It was a cold rain, the kind

reatened to swallow me whole. My black dress, soaked through within minutes

ody had gone past the point of co

oo small. My mother had been a force of nature, a woman who filled every room

th my feet. It felt like the earth was cracking open, mirro

ly to the left. The spa

ch of grass where my husban

in front of this very same priest three years ago, to che

his was the worst.

ressing a dry tissue into my wet hand. The tissue dissolved instantly against my dam

I also knew that Blake had a private driver who

nd bright against the gloom of the afternoon. No missed call

it. I shouldn't look.

pped

The banner at the bottom read: NHL Superstar

d golden drapery. The audio was a mix of upbeat music and the murmur

act one I had picked out for him last

wasn'

quined gown that dipped low in the back, her head thrown back i

Knight & Hayes: A Power Couple Reun

se

punch, a reminder of the secret I was carrying. I dropped the phone ba

e life growing inside me. Please,

felt like stones being dropped into a well. They touched my shoulder, the

murmured. "To be alon

ery step a battle. I got into the driver's seat of my modest SUV-Blake had

rs that started in my hands and worked th

Blake's

. Once.

the video is old. Tell

icemail of Blake Knight.

d dialed Leo

d ring. "Avery?" He sound

d. My voice was raspy, unr

ammered. "It's a high-level crisis with the roster. He can

ct, swelling beat of a party anthem. The clinking of

I repeated, dead

on is bad here in the co

ne wen

't there. It was that he thought so little of my intelligence,

paper-thin, just two days ago. Don't let him dim yo

back was a ghost. Pale, wet hair plastered to my sk

ted th

in on the windshield. I didn't feel the road. I didn't feel the steering wheel. I was opera

the entire top floor, decorated in cool greys an

lked into the living room. The silence of the

xt to a stack of architectural digests, was a gi

onths. Our anniversary had passed two weeks ago

rs trembling, and pulle

ited edition piece, delic

wasn't

e envelope unsealed. I pulled it out

the one you lost

birthday

friend's birthday. He had bought a gift. And then it was left here. A cold dread washed over me. This wasn't Blake's bra

kered to life-it was set on a t

on a massive cake brought out by waiters. Blake was standing right behind her, leaning in clo

was sm

tural, ugly. I grabbed a heavy crystal vase from the console ta

AS

tward like shrapnel. The noise echoed in the empty pentho

of me as quickly as it had come, leaving me hollowed o

t to my sto

ness. "I can't let you grow up in this col