Page 28 of Best Kept Vows

I listened, fascinated, realizing I was surrounded by intelligent, driven women, whose professional passion matched their personal strength. For the first time inyears, I was genuinely excited—and more determined than ever to learn from them.

Driving back home, my phone rang. It was my sister Miranda.

“Hey, how are things?

“Fine.” She sounded annoyed, and I worried whether things were okay with my nephew, Victor, who was on the spectrum. Miranda had stayed home to take care of her son—and knowing he’d never be able to live on his own was a reality she’d come to terms with. She loved Victor fiercely and was as protective of him as we all were.

“Is Victor okay?”

“Yes.” She sounded like she was gritting her teeth. “I wanted to check on you.”

Finally, I figured out what was going on and groaned. “Ada called you.”

“AndTristan.”

“And?” I asked sullenly.

“And…I want to break both of Sebastian’s legs. What the hell is going on, Lia? I mean, it was one thing that his mother and sister were bitches, but he was with you—all the way, but now it sounds like…is he having an affair?”

She sounded anguished. She knew how much I loved Sebastian, and his having an affair would destroy me. But this life we were living, separate but together, was death by a thousand cuts.

“I don’t think so,” I said honestly. “But….”

“But you’re not sure,” she finished for me.

“He’s never home, and when he is, we’re fighting. And honestly? I can’t even blame it all on him. I’ve become…snappy. Bitter. I spent years being a doormat, and now that I’m finally standing up for myself, he doesn’t know what to do with it.”

A part of me understood that when a marriage went sour, both parties were equally responsible for its breakdown.

I had let Sebastian do whatever he wanted, however he wanted, and I never complained. I’d kept quiet about how much I hated Sunday dinners, assuming he should know—our kids certainly did. But the more I reflected on our marriage, the more I realized that I hadn’t told him how I felt because, deep down, I didn’t believe he’d listen. I didn’t think he cared to. In fact, I was afraid he’d be angry. And he was, wasn’t he? Angry that I got an education. Angry that I got a job. Angry that I stopped tolerating his mother and sister’s bullshit.

“You want to make this work with him? Or are you done?” Miranda asked bluntly.

“I don’t know,” I confessed.

Three years ago, I’d have said without hesitation that I’d do whatever it took to make my marriage work—now, I found that I was tired of wanting what I couldn’t have. I was tired of Boone Metals taking over my husband and marriage. I was tired of waiting for Sebastian to find his way homeandto me.

“Alright.” I heard her inhale sharply. “I’m putting David on the line.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s a divorce lawyer.”

My heart slammed in my ribcage. “What? I haven’t said a thing about?—”

“Just so you have the facts, in case it comes to that,” Miranda cut me off gently. “Talking to a lawyer doesn’t mean you’re asking for a divorce—it means you’re protecting yourself and your kids. I believe Sebastian will try to take care of you, but let’s be honest: his family made you sign a prenuptial agreement, and from everything I know about them, they’ll fight tooth and nail to make sure you get as little as possible. And Sebastian? He doesn’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to standing up to them.”

I had been shocked when Abraham had put the pre-nuptial agreement in front of me when I was at their home for Sunday freaking dinner a few days after Sebastian announced our wedding date. Dolly and Coco had taken Sebastian away under some pretext, and I’d been ambushed.

“I’d like to talk to Sebastian about this.”

“Just sign it if you want to marry him.” Abraham held a pen, his tone stern. “You say you don’t want his money, then prove it.”

“My brother-in-law is an attorney, Abraham. I never sign anything until I read it and get him to look it over.” I took the papers he had presented to me and stuffed them in my bag.

“You’re all the same, aren’t you?” Abraham sneered.

“I don’t know who you mean byall, Abraham, but you haveno ideawho I am.”