Summary

ThedayEliseHarperdiscoveredshewaspregnantagain,herworldshattered.Whileshewasgrievingthechildtheyhadlost—slowlybreakingapartundertheweightofhersorrow—herhusband,DylanBennett,hadbeenbuildingasecretlifewithanotherwoman:thepoorstudentElisehadoncetakeninandsupportedlikefamily.Hecelebratedthebirthofhismistress’ssonwhilehiswifemournedalone.ThecompanyElisehadpouredherheartintohadquietlybecometheotherwoman’splayground.Eventhedreamhomeshebelievedsymbolizedtheironeandonlylovehadbeenrecreatedforhisnewfamily.Inaninstant,loveturnedtoash,leavingbehindonlybetrayalandfury.Hidingherpregnancyandswallowingherheartbreak,ElisehandsDylanthedivorcepaperswithouthesitation.Certainshewillcomecrawlingback,hecoldlywarnsher,“Ifyouregretthisandbegmenow,Icanpretendnoneofthiseverhappened.”Butthistime,shesimplywalksaway.BythetimeDylanrealizeshe’sabouttolosetheonlywomanheevertrulyloved,it’salreadytoolate.Thebroken,grievingwifeheabandonedisgone—replacedbyawomanmorebrilliant,untouchable,andbreathtakingthaneverbefore.Andwhenhefinallybendshisprideandbegsforanotherchance,Elieseonlysmileswithdistantindifference.“Youcametoolate,”shetellshim.“Idon'tloveyouanymore.”