Her husband finds out about the affair. And you serve Alexander with divorce papers—all on the same day.”
Janet leaned back, calm as steel.
“Complete devastation all at once, with no time for them to regroup or plan a response.”
The idea was breathtaking in its thoroughness. Sarah imagined Alexander’s face when his carefully constructed world collapsed all at once—the same Alexander who’d been so confident last night, so sure that naive little Sarah would never figure out what was happening.
“How much would this cost?” Sarah asked.
“Sarah, with your father’s assets, cost isn’t really a factor.
But even if it were, most of what we’re doing involves exercising rights you already have. The main expense would be Tom Mitchell’s continued investigation and my fees.”
Sarah made her decision.
“Do it. All of it.
I want them to understand what it feels like to have their world pulled out from under them.”
Janet nodded approvingly.
“Excellent. Now, let’s talk timeline. I’ll need about two weeks to coordinate everything properly.
During that time, you’ll need to act completely normal with Alexander. Can you do that?”
Sarah thought about going home tonight, looking Alexander in the eye, and pretending she still loved him. It would be the hardest thing she’d ever done.
But it would also be worth it.
“I can do it.”
“Good,” Janet said.
“And Sarah—your father would be proud of you. He always said you were stronger than you knew.”
As Sarah left the law office, she felt like a different person than the one who’d walked in two hours ago. For the first time in months, she felt like she had control over her life.
More than that, she felt powerful.
Alexander and Rebecca thought they were so clever—so careful—so in control of the situation.
They had no idea that Sarah was about to turn their world upside down.
In two weeks, they would learn exactly how wrong they’d been about everything.
Sarah sat in her car outside her house for ten minutes, staring at the familiar red door she’d walked through as a happy wife just two days ago.
Now everything looked different.
The garden she’d planted with such hope.
The porch where she and Alexander used to sit and plan their future. The windows of the bedroom where he betrayed her with another woman.
She checked her reflection in the rearview mirror. She looked tired, which was perfect.
A grieving daughter should look tired.
She practiced her expressions during the drive home—the sad smile, the grateful look when Alexander offered comfort, the trusting gaze when he told her about his day.
Every emotion calculated. Every response designed to keep him convinced she was still the naive wife he could manipulate.
The front door opened before she could reach for her keys.
Alexander stood there in the doorway looking concerned and loving—an Oscar-worthy performance that made Sarah’s stomach turn.
“Baby, you look exhausted,” he said, pulling her into a hug that she forced herself not to stiffen in. “How was the flight?”
“Long,” Sarah said, letting her voice sound small and tired.
“I’m just glad to be home. I missed you so much.”
Alexander’s arms tightened around her, and Sarah wondered if he’d held Rebecca the same way just hours ago.
“I know this has been the hardest week of your life.”
If only he knew, Sarah thought. But she just nodded against his chest.
“Thank you for being so understanding about everything,” she said.
“I know I haven’t been very good company lately.”
“Hey,” Alexander murmured. “Don’t apologize for grieving. Your father meant everything to you.”
Alexander pulled back to look at her, his expression so convincing that Sarah almost believed he actually cared.
“Did you get all the legal stuff sorted out?”
There was the real reason for his concern.
Sarah had been waiting for this question since she’d walked in the door.
“Most of it,” she said vaguely.
“There’s still some paperwork to finish, but nothing too complicated. Dad didn’t have as much as I thought he did. Just the house and some small investments.”
Sarah watched Alexander’s face carefully.
For just a moment, she saw disappointment flash across his features before he covered it with sympathetic concern.
“Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry.
I know you were hoping…”
He trailed off, as if he didn’t want to seem mercenary.
“Hoping what?” Sarah asked innocently.
“Nothing,” Alexander said quickly. “I just thought maybe your dad had been able to save more over the years. But it doesn’t matter.
We have everything we need.”
Alexander kissed her forehead.
“I made your favorite dinner—chicken parmesan.”
The gesture was so thoughtful, so perfectly caring, that for a moment Sarah felt a flicker of doubt.
Maybe she was wrong.
Maybe there was an explanation for what she’d heard.
Maybe Alexander really did love her and she was about to destroy an innocent man.
Then she remembered Rebecca’s voice: When are you going to ask for the divorce?
And Alexander’s response: Soon. I’m waiting for the inheritance to come through first.
The doubt vanished as quickly as it had come.
“That sounds perfect,” Sarah said, forcing a smile. “I’m starving.
I barely ate anything on the plane.”
During dinner, Alexander was the perfect husband. He asked about the funeral, listened sympathetically as Sarah made up details about saying goodbye to her father, and shared amusing stories about his week to distract her from her grief.
He was attentive, funny, caring—everything that had made her fall in love with him in the first place.
It was a masterful performance, and Sarah found herself genuinely impressed by his acting skills. He should have been on stage instead of in tech sales.
“How was work this week?” Sarah asked as they cleared the dishes.
“Busy,” Alexander said.
“You know how it is—always something urgent that needs attention.”
His tone was casual, but Sarah caught the slight tension in his shoulders.
“Actually, I might have to work late again tomorrow. We’re trying to close this big deal with a new client.”
“Anyone I know?”
“Probably not,” Alexander said. “It’s some investment firm downtown.
Pretty boring stuff.”
Sarah nodded sympathetically while making a mental note to ask Tom Mitchell to check what Alexander was really doing tomorrow night.
“Well, don’t work too hard. You’ve been putting in so many long hours lately.”
“Just trying to build our future, you know.” Alexander smiled. “I want to be able to give you everything you deserve.”
The irony was so thick Sarah almost choked on it.
That night, as they got ready for bed, Sarah watched Alexander in the bathroom mirror.
He was brushing his teeth with the same methodical strokes he’d used for the three years they’d been married. Everything about him looked normal, familiar, safe.
If she hadn’t heard the conversation with Rebecca, she would never have suspected anything was wrong.
“You seem different,” Alexander said suddenly, catching her eye in the mirror.
Sarah’s heart skipped, but she kept her expression neutral.
“Different how?”
“I don’t know. Calmer, maybe.
I was worried about how you’d handle losing your dad. But you seem stronger than I expected.”
Sarah turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind—a gesture that used to feel natural and now felt like playing a role.
“I think Dad’s death helped me realize what’s really important,” she said. “I don’t want to waste time worrying about things I can’t control.”
Alexander relaxed against her touch.
“That’s very mature of you.
Your father would be proud.”
He had no idea how proud, Sarah thought grimly.
In bed, Alexander reached for her like he always did, his hands familiar on her skin. For a moment, Sarah’s resolve wavered. This was her husband—the man she promised to love forever.
The man she’d shared her dreams with, her fears, her hopes for the future.
But then she remembered his voice saying he could barely stand to touch her.
And she forced herself to respond to his kisses, to move with him like nothing had changed.
It was the hardest performance of her life.
Afterward, as Alexander fell asleep beside her, Sarah stared at the ceiling and planned her next move. Tomorrow, she would call Tom Mitchell for an update on Rebecca’s investigation. She would check in with Janet Williams about the legal proceedings.
She would continue to play the role of the grieving, trusting wife while secretly orchestrating the destruction of everything Alexander thought he’d built.
It was exhausting living this double life.
But it was also exhilarating in a way Sarah had never experienced before.
