"You like it spicy, so I added some extra jalapeños. You should eat up."

Cole took off his apron and even served my plate for me.

He was the very picture of a perfect husband.

If I hadn't seen him give half his pay to another woman with my own eyes.

If he hadn't used some flimsy excuse to get me fired, only to give my job to her.

If he hadn't dropped everything and run to her side, leaving me at home with a raging fever.

I would never believe this was the same man.

I took a deep breath.

I told myself that since the job was gone, and since this man clearly didn't have me in his heart, then so be it.

It was over.

Instead of sitting at home feeling sorry for myself, I should figure out how to build a better life for myself.

Cole used to be my whole world.

But from this day forward.

I would live only for me.

Once I'd settled that in my mind, I devoured my dinner like a woman starved and got ready to go to our room to see how much money we had left.

With no job, and a husband giving most of his earnings to another woman, I had to know what our bottom line was.

I couldn't just let us starve to death.

I ate distractedly, then washed the dishes.

Of course, I couldn't go through our finances right in front of Cole.

But that was fine; I figured Sarah would be calling any minute now, using her kid as an excuse to get Cole over there. I just had to wait.

But as soon as I walked into the bedroom, Cole followed me in.

"Lucy."

"Are you mad at me?"