And finally… agreeing with him.

In his mind, the entire night had already been scripted.

He would stand near the entrance in a tailored suit, his watch catching just enough light to signal success. He would laugh with important people. He would let Grace see him first—let her feel the distance, the difference, the life that had supposedly improved without her.

Maybe he would mention a promotion he hadn’t earned.

Maybe he would let people assume he was rising through the executive ranks instead of just being another regional sales employee who knew how to sound important.

The truth no longer suited him.

So he replaced it.

And he preferred his version.

For months, Ryan had been shaping that narrative—telling family that Grace had been impossible, ungrateful, draining. That she never supported his ambition. That motherhood had become her excuse to stop trying.

He told them he sold the house because she mismanaged everything. Because the financial pressure had become unbearable. Because he had been forced to make “adult decisions” she was too emotional to understand.

He never told them the real reason.

He never told them how urgently he needed that money.

Or why.

Leaning back in his seat, Ryan opened his phone.

Grace’s name appeared at the top of the screen.