Elara sat on the edge of her bed, staring blankly at the phone she'd been holding for the past ten minutes. Her mind kept circling the same thought, tugging at her like the elephant in the room that she didn't want to acknowledge.
Today was William Lloyd's birthday.
And she would have to show up—act, smile, and stand beside Andrew as his wife, keeping up the façade she'd built to protect herself.
If she didn't, the Lloyd elders would push, pry, and demand answers, probably even becoming a hindrance to the divorce. Especially William. He was too perceptive, too stubborn, and too loving.
And she couldn't let that happen. Not when only 9 days remained in the cooling period.
A soft ache tugged at her chest.
That old man… He had supported her even when no one else had. Even when his own family looked at her like she didn't belong, he always made space for her. And though part of it was because he alone knew the truth behind her marriage, she cherished him.
