Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Epilogue
Next in the Series
About the Author
Copyright (C) 2018 Marnie Cate
Layout design and Copyright (C) 2023 by Next Chapter
Published 2023 by Next Chapter
Cover art by Lordan June Pinote
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the author's permission.
Foreword
Dear Reader,
The following tale is a collection of experiences. It isn’t about one particular
person but a culmination of struggles our society faces. Different aspects of the story may resonate with each reader and provoke emotions.
The point of this book is not only to depict the ways in which we can be broken but also to highlight the availability of healing. You don’t have to stay imprisoned by your mistakes, in servitude to your choices, or under the cloud of
your trials. We all can push beyond where we have been and who we once were.
Find your strength and realize your worth. Then, and only then, will you be
able to forgive and grow.
Remember, you are not alone. And, I believe you.
NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE
(800) 799-SAFE (7233)
(800) 787-3224 TTY For the Deaf
National Lifeline SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE
(800) 273-TALK (8255)
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
NATIONAL SEXUAL ASSAULT HOTLINE
(RAINN – Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network)
(800) 656-HOPE (4673)
Acknowledgments
Thanks to J.M. Northup for her editorial support. From our collaboration, I learned so much not only about writing but also about the editorial process.
Prologue
“Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
One
Y es, darling. Keep clicking those buttons. You’re giving me what I want.
How kind of you to build my case for me. Not that I really need thisadditional indiscretion. I’ll have our divorce papers sent to you verysoon.
He could pretend he was working hard, but I knew Jeremy. Maybe he was answering a few work texts, but the ones where his eyes brightened, bringing out
