The rain tapped a steady, cold rhythm against the French doors of our living room.

I picked up Ethan’s wool coat from the entryway chair to hang it in the closet.

That was when the scent hit me.

It was jasmine and sweet vanilla, heavy and cheap, clinging to the lapel.

My own perfume is sandalwood, dry and quiet.

I set the coat down on the bench.

In the kitchen, Ethan’s work laptop sat open on the marble island, still humming.

He had gone upstairs to take a shower, leaving his screen unlocked.

A notification banner flashed in the bottom corner of the screen.

“The reservation for Friday is confirmed, Ethan. I bought the dress you liked.”

The sender’s name was Lila Parker.

I clicked the window.

The chat history unspooled in a long, neat column of time stamps stretching back four months.

There were photos of dinners at restaurants uptown, selfies of a young woman with blonde hair against hotel headboards, and messages from Ethan.

“See you in fifteen, beautiful,” one read.

My hands stayed cold and steady on the edge of the counter.

I did not scream, and I did not cry.

I walked up the stairs, past the bathroom where the shower was running, and entered our walk-in closet.

I pulled three large leather suitcases from the top shelf.

One by one, I filled them.

I packed his Brioni suits, his silk ties, his Italian leather shoes, and his monogrammed shirts.

I did not fold them; I stuffed them inside until the zippers strained.

I dragged the heavy bags down the stairs and loaded them into the trunk of my SUV.

The drive to Lawson Vance Consulting took twenty minutes through the grey suburban drizzle.

I parked in the executive lot, right next to Ethan’s silver Porsche.

I hauled the three suitcases out of the trunk and pulled them behind me through the glass double doors.

The lobby of Lawson Vance Consulting was a vast expanse of white marble and brushed steel.

Behind the sleek reception desk stood Lila Parker, organizing a stack of corporate brochures.

She looked up, her blue eyes wide, her smile professional and practiced.