The Stand In Wife's Revenge novel Chapter 26

Chapter 26

I sat at the side of my bed, and the soft glow from the bedside lamp

cast long shadows across the room. My hands trembled as I grasped

the envelope from next to me on my bedside table–divorce papers.

The very presence of them knotted my stomach.

That experience stayed with me, raw and fresh, like a fresh wound.

Liam’s callous, matter–of–fact statement kept echoing in my mind.

“I’m done, Ava.”

I took a quick breath, trying to shake off the weight of what had transpired. But it was impossible. How had it come to pass from being inseparable to now? How had the man who had held me like I was everything to him ended up someone who had no interest in me or

our son?

I had a lump in my throat as I ran my fingers over the sealed envelope. Ever since he had left them in my hands, I had avoided looking at the papers, hoping against hope that by ignoring them, reality would be different. Now, however, part of me ached for answers–answers that I had been afraid to seek out before.

I took a nervous breath and opened the seal and unfolded the papers. My eyes scanned through the words, but they merged into a muddled

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combination of legalese and protocol. Then a single sentence leaped

out and made me catch my breath.

Was that really all our time together had amounted to? A cold,

impersonal declaration that barely touched on the pain, the sorrow,

and the anguish?

My eyes welled with tears, and then I blinked them away. I had

already cried enough tears for Liam. Now, what I required was the

truth.

There had to be more to it.

He wasn’t the man that I had married–no, not anymore. Something

had changed him. And no matter how painful it was, I had to find out

what.

I folded the papers and set them aside. My heart pounded with

renewed determination. If Liam wouldn’t tell me why he had just

given up on us, then I would figure it out myself.

I needed to know why.

Even though it broke me.

My fingers trailed along the edge of the papers absent–mindedly, my

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combination of legalese and protocol. Then a single sentence leaped

out and made me catch my breath.

Was that really all our time together had amounted to? A cold, impersonal declaration that barely touched on the pain, the sorrow,

and the anguish?

My eyes welled with tears, and then I blinked them away. I had

already cried enough tears for Liam. Now, what I required was the

truth.

There had to be more to it.

He wasn’t the man that I had married–no, not anymore. Something

had changed him. And no matter how painful it was, I had to find out

what.

I folded the papers and set them aside. My heart pounded with renewed determination. If Liam wouldn’t tell me why he had just

given up on us, then I would figure it out myself.

I needed to know why.

Even though it broke me.

My fingers trailed along the edge of the papers absent–mindedly, my

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Chapter 26

mind clouded with a strange sensation–something that had been

haunting me since the accident. An emptiness. A sense of emptiness

that I had not been willing to confront.

Because in reality, I had not remembered Liam. Not really.

Not the way I should.

I knew what had transpired. We had been married. We had loved. We had established a life. And then… something had happened. The accident had stolen parts of my history from me, and what was left was fractured bits that never quite fell into place. I had fought for months to try to put it back together again, hoping that if I pushed hard enough, those memories would return.

But they hadn’t.

I took up the envelope again, staring at Liam’s signature at the foot of the letter. His handwriting was both intimate and alien. It was a word suspended at the tip of my tongue that I could not quite define.

I had to remember.

Another flicker.

Rain.

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Cold dripping against skin, dampening clothing. A streetlight

overhead, casting a trembling beam. A shadow–broad and tall-

positioned a few feet away.

“Liam,” I whispered.

He turned around.

And then–nothing.

My eyes flew open, and my heart raced.

It had existed, so close that it was almost tangible. It had gotten

away, and it had left a ghost behind.

I clenched my fists.

I would not let it go.

I couldn’t.

Resolute, I sat back and picked up the papers once more, making

myself examine Liam’s name.

“Who were you to me?” I asked softly, almost a whisper.

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And then-

A rush.

Hands around my waist, lifting me with ease. Low laughter vibrating

against my ear. The scent of something warm–scented cologne,

wood, heat.

“You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

I gasped, almost dropping the papers.

That voice.

It was his.

“Liam.”

I had a feeling.

I slapped a hand against my chest, my heart pounding.

It was real.

Not just a dream, not just a hope.

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Chapter 26

“A memory.”

I held it tightly, trying not to let it escape from me once more.

It wasn’t sufficient.

But it was something.

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