That was the only reason I had booked a week on a private island in the Caribbean for our fifth anniversary, securing a villa complete with a personal chef, full staff, and a private beach for one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
I did it because Caleb had spent months telling me that I was cold and that my company had turned me into a woman who no longer had a home in her heart.
He said he needed a wife who was more present and traditional, and I was naive enough to believe he truly missed me.
The night before the trip, I handed him the itinerary inside a heavy black envelope embossed with gold lettering.
“This trip is just for the two of us, Caleb, with no meetings, no business calls, and absolutely no outside distractions,” I told him softly.
Caleb barely looked up from his smartphone as he took the envelope with a dismissive grunt.
“I certainly hope the internet connection is decent out there, because I cannot just disappear from my responsibilities just because you feel guilty about your own schedule,” he replied.
It hurt to hear that, but I swallowed my pride and forced a smile because I wanted this trip to be a fresh start.
The next morning, I arrived at the private dock thirty minutes late because of an urgent situation at the office that required my immediate approval.
I expected to find him waiting alone and perhaps slightly annoyed, but instead I saw a group gathered near the seaplane.
Caleb stood there with his mother, Margot, his father, Arthur, and Tessa—his college ex—who was dressed in a flowing white linen dress as though she were the guest of honor.
Tessa reached out and touched his arm with a familiarity that made my blood run cold, and she did not pull away when I approached.
Margot looked me up and down with her usual expression of thinly veiled disdain, adjusting her expensive sun hat as I walked toward them.
“It is about time you arrived, Lydia, especially since I invited my parents and Tessa because she has been going through such a difficult time lately,” Caleb said with a shrug.
My throat tightened as I looked at the woman who had always been a shadow over our marriage.
“You invited your ex-girlfriend to our private anniversary trip without even asking me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
