Chapter 1I got tickets to my bestie Riley's favorite band's show and decided to mess with her.
[Guess who just got tickets to your boy's show? Jealous yet?]
I already had my next text ready. [But they're for you! Happy now?]
Then her reply came in.
I glanced at my screen, grinning, ready for whatever joke she'd throw back.
Then my stomach dropped.
[My parents didn't die in a crash. Yours did. Jealous yet?]
[Your husband Jax bought me a condo. Jealous yet?]
[Your wedding night he said work trip? He was on my bed. Jealous yet?]
A photo appeared beneath the messages.
Jax. In his wedding suit, arm slung around Riley's waist.
A sharp ringing filled my ears. Everything else faded into the background.
My thumb froze over the screen.
That second text—[But they're for you. Happy now?]—was still waiting to be sent.
I don't know how long I stood there, vision blurring, before I could even blink again.
My hands were shaking so hard I could barely type.
[Riley. Stop. This isn't funny. The tickets are for you. I was just messing around.]
She didn't say a word.
Just sent me a location.
Against my better judgment, I went.
The presidential suite door was wide open when I got there.
And standing right in the doorway—like he'd been waiting—was my husband of sixteen days.
The one who'd supposedly left town on business.
I froze.
Before I could even get a word out, he spoke first.
"Look, you found out." He shrugged, leaning against the doorframe. "No point hiding it now."
"Riley and I have been hooking up for a while. Didn't want to upset you, so I kept quiet."
He said it like he was telling me he'd grabbed coffee with a coworker.
My brain stalled out.
"But since you know..."
He exhaled, almost bored. "Let's be real. You got the ring. You got the title. That's already unfair to Riley. So obviously I need to make it up to her. She gets jealous, gets in her head—but you've always been cool with everything. You get it, right?"
The words didn't land at first. I thought maybe I'd misheard.
Then I tasted blood. I'd bitten through my lip.
"Jax... we've been married SIXTEEN DAYS."
He frowned, genuinely confused. "I didn't say I don't love you. But come on—no guy only loves one woman his whole life."
Like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Like I was being unreasonable.
This was the same man who'd nearly gotten himself killed climbing that cliff just to carve our initials at the top, swearing he'd love me—only me—this life, next life, every life after.
Sixteen days.
That's how long his forever lasted.
Maybe even during our vows, he was already planning his exit. Already thinking about her.
Nausea rolled through me. My hands clenched at my sides, trembling.
Jax grabbed them, his voice softening.
"Look, you became mine since you were eighteen. People get bored, right? I know finding out about Riley probably stings. So I won't stop you from seeing other people. Just... don't hurt yourself over it."
He said it like he was doing me a favor.
But that phrase—became mine—stuck in my throat like glass.
Like I was a fucking pet he'd picked up at eighteen.
He'd forgotten, apparently, how he'd rigged up a garden hose rainbow at the school flagpole just to ask me out in front of everyone.
How he'd turned down Ivy League offers to go to a state school with me.
Tears spilled over before I could stop them.
He froze for a second. I caught the panic in his eyes—then the irritation.
I pulled my hand away.
Before I could speak, Riley came out of the bedroom.
Not the sharp, confident Riley I knew. This version was soft. Pouty. Clinging.
"Jax, we're already out. First day and we went through the whole box. What now?"
I followed her gaze to the crumpled wrapper on the nightstand.
Strawberry-flavored condoms.
The exact brand she'd asked me to research last week. Said she was "asking for a friend."
Turned out I'd spent all night reading reviews so my husband could fuck my best friend.
I squeezed my eyes shut. Couldn't look anymore.
Wiped my face. Turned to Jax.
He shoved the box into my hands before I could say a word.
Then nudged me toward the door, one hand braced on the frame, zero guilt in his eyes.
"Do me a favor and grab some more."
He pressed something into my palm. Cold. Heavy.
A black card. One of three in the world.
"Mrs. Brennan," he murmured, voice honey-smooth. "Don't wrong yourself while I'm away."
It should've sounded sweet.
Instead, it felt like a blade scraping bone.
I swallowed hard, steadied myself, and met his eyes.
"You told me not to wrong myself. So let's get divorced."
Chapter 2
The sunlit suite went dead silent.
Riley broke it first. "Alright, you two figure your shit out. I'll give you some space."
Before she left, she gave Jax a playful kick.
"Don't be an asshole to Ava. You know she scares easy."
He grabbed her head in a fake headlock, messing up her hair—but his hands were so damn gentle it made my chest hurt.
The way he looked at her? Pure love.
Standing there, I felt like I was the one crashing their party.
I kept my head down, swallowed the lump in my throat, and hit record on my phone.
Captured the whole thing.
They were still whispering to each other when I lowered my phone.
Riley finally pulled away and headed back to the bedroom.
Right before she closed the door, she threw me that same old line:
"Ava, if he gives you any trouble, you call me. I'll kick his ass!"
The same protective bullshit she always said.
Except now I knew what "kick his ass" really meant.
Jax walked over to me, and the first thing out of his mouth was, "Ava, quit being dramatic."
One second ago, he was looking at Riley like she hung the moon.
Now? Just annoyance.
"You're almost thirty. You went to some no-name state school, you don't have a job, and I've been fucking you since you were eighteen. Who else is gonna want you? Seriously—who?"
No anger. No malice. Just... facts. Like he was reading off a grocery list.
And somehow, that made it worse.
I would've preferred him yelling.
At least then I could tell myself he was just pissed off and didn't mean it.
But no. He said it like he was asking me what I had for breakfast.
I stared at him, and for the first time, I didn't recognize the man in front of me.
We met when I was sixteen. Got together at eighteen. Married at twenty-eight.
Twelve years.
We went from a shitty apartment with a leaking roof to a mansion with more rooms than I could count.
When we were broke, we used to sneak into random weddings just to eat the free food.
I remember one time—we stood in this fancy venue, staring at the couture dress and the crystal chandeliers. Jax didn't blink for a full minute.
Then he pulled me into his arms, and I felt something warm slide down my neck.
He was crying.
"Ava," he choked out, "I'm gonna give you a wedding even better than this. And I'm gonna love you so hard you'll never get rid of me. Even if I die, I'm taking you with me."
I believed every word.
And I got the wedding. Just not the love.
I don't understand how someone who loved me that much could just... stop.
How he could say this shit to my face and not even flinch.
I heard Riley pacing inside the bedroom. She was getting impatient.
Jax heard it too.
So he gave me a quick, half-assed hug and said fast:
"Ava, it's just a phase. You're still Mrs. Brennan. Why are you making this a big deal?"
"And let's be real—you're an orphan with no job. You leave me, you can't even afford a place in the bad part of town. So stop being stubborn, okay?"
He let go. Walked back into the suite. Slammed the door.
The sound echoed.
Or maybe that was just my heart hitting the floor.
I stood there, frozen.
Turns out when you're heartbroken enough, you don't cry. You don't even breathe right.
I don't know how long I stood there before my body finally kicked back in—gasping like I'd been drowning.
Then the nausea hit.
I bolted to the bathroom and threw up until my eyes watered.
When I finally looked up, I saw my reflection—pale, hollow, wrecked.
And I laughed.
I'd threatened to leave so many times before. But this time?
This time I meant it.
Riley, honey—that piece of shit is yours now. Consider it my wedding gift.
I'm fucking done.
Chapter 3
I opened my email and accepted that design program overseas.
Then I called my college friend.
"Rain, I need a divorce lawyer. Can you draft something for me?"
After that, I dragged myself home and collapsed on the bed.
When I woke up, it was the next day. My whole body felt like it was on fire.
I popped some meds and was about to head to the hospital when the front door swung open.
"Ava! You going somewhere? Don't. Jax and I are doing a bonfire thing in the backyard this afternoon. You should come."
Riley kicked my shoes aside and yanked me back inside like nothing had happened.
I tried to pull away, but my arms felt like wet noodles.
"Let go of me," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Don't you think you're disgusting?"
Saying that hurt me more than it hurt her.
Like someone was squeezing my heart until it bled.
Riley and I had been best friends for eight years.
I was always the quiet one, the one who got pushed around.
She was the one who fought back for me.
She taught me to speak up when I was hurt. To fight back when I was wronged.
To never trust a man too much. To live for myself.
She shaped who I was. More than any teacher ever did.
But I never became the person she wanted me to be.
I couldn't learn to be loud or fearless.
And she never got mad at me for it. She'd just and say, "It's okay, Ava. I'll protect you."
Now she was the one hurting me.
I didn't know if the old Riley was fake, or if she'd just changed.
But honestly? I didn't care anymore. I just wanted to get away from both of them.
Riley froze for a second, her mouth opening like she wanted to say something—
but then Jax came up behind her and pulled her back.
"Ava, if you're pissed, take it out on me. Riley's your best friend. She's always looked out for you. How can you say that to her?"
I almost laughed.
Yeah. Riley's always looked out for me. And my husband.
I stared at them through my fever-blurred vision.
There was so much I wanted to say. So much I wanted to scream.
But all that came out was: "Forget it."
What's the point? I'd be gone soon anyway.
I turned away and tried to leave.
Jax grabbed my arm. "Riley wants us all to hang out. You don't have a job. You don't have friends. You can go out tomorrow."
Before I could argue, he dragged me to the backyard and shoved me into a camping chair.
My head felt like it was about to split open.
I fumbled for my phone to call 911, but Riley snatched it out of my hand.
"Ava, your hands are freezing!"
I reached for my phone, but she shoved a cup in my face instead.
"You're probably cold from the wind. Drink this. It'll warm you up."
She pried my mouth open and poured the alcohol down my throat—rougher than she used to be.
I shoved her off with whatever strength I had left. "GET OFF ME!"
Riley screamed and stumbled forward. Jax shot to his feet. "Riley!"
I didn't care.
I stuck my fingers down my throat, trying to throw up.
You can't drink alcohol after taking antibiotics. It'll kill you.
But before I could get anything out, Jax grabbed my chin and yanked my head up.
"Ava, what the hell is wrong with you? I thought I made myself clear yesterday."
His face was dark in the firelight. His eyes were angry.
"You didn't want the drink? Fine. But Riley was trying to help you. Why the hell did you push her into the fire?"
That's when I noticed Riley crying, clutching her burned arm.
If this were before, I would've felt guilty. But now?
I didn't even want to look at her.
I slapped Jax's hand away. "What was I supposed to do? Let myself die?"
"I have a fever, Jax. I just took antibiotics!"
