Chapter 2
Lynne waited in the hallway for what felt like an eternity, but Balfour never appeared.”
Instead, she ran into Sexton, who was on his way back from the restroom. He looked surprised to see Lynne standing there alone, and gently steered her back to the private room.
Inside, the group was lively, everyone chatting and laughing. Only the empty seat beside Lynne stood out–unclaimed and waiting.
After a while, Sexton ambled over, putting on a casual smile. “Lynne, Balfour just got called away for something urgent at work. I’ll give you a ride home in a bit.”
Lynne’s smile was polite, serene. “That’s kind of you, but there’s something I need to take care of at my studio. I’ll just grab a cab. Enjoy the rest of your evening.“}
She slipped out, her heels clicking softly down the corridor. As she turned the corner, a familiar silhouette flickered at the edge of her vision.
She followed–quiet, unseen–toward a shadowy stairwell tucked out of sight.
There, Balfour was arguing with a woman.}
“Mr. Tobin, who are you to me?” The woman’s voice was sharp, trembling. “Who I toast with is none of your business.”
Balfour’s fist slammed into the wall. He didn’t even seem to feel the pain.
A moment later, the woman’s face came into view. Lynne recognized her instantly.
Of course. It was her.”
Lynne’s nails dug into her palm, pain biting into her skin as Balfour’s next words, cold and possessive, rang in her ears.}
“Cynthia, isn’t this what you want? I’ll give it to you.“}
Before she could even process what was happening, Balfour bent down, crushing Cynthia’s lips with his own, his arm locking tightly around her waist and pulling her close.”
Cynthia’s eyes were open, but her gaze fell straight past Balfour–right onto Lynne, standing at the stairwell door.
Lynne knew, in that moment, that Cynthia had been aware of her all along.
That night, Balfour never came home.>
He only called once, reminding Lynne not to forget her nightly glass of milk.
Sitting in the darkness, Lynne suddenly remembered–she’d missed a party with Balfour once before, back when she was feeling unwell. That night too, he hadn’t come home.
Sometime after midnight, her phone rang.
Numb, she answered. Before she could say a word, a tangled, breathless sound spilled through the speaker–laughter, moans, unmistakable. The man’s voice was demanding, pushing the woman on the other end to admit he was the one she loved most.
The woman’s voice rose, wave after wave, until finally she spoke in a sweet, plaintive tone.
“Balfour, I don’t want to be the woman who ruins someone else’s marriage.“}
Balfour hesitated, then exhaled, his voice suddenly gentle. “You’re not. Don’t say that.“}
“I just wish you’d come into my life sooner.”
Lynne gripped the front of her shirt, clutching at her heart as if she could hold it together. But even after seeing the truth so clearly, the pain hit her all over again, shattering her from the inside out.”
Balfour had come to the Tobin family at thirteen, following his mother into a strange new life. As the stepson, he was always the outsider–looked down on, bullied–but Lynne had been his only friend. Whenever anyone picked on him, she would storm over to their houses and complain to their parents, dragging Balfour along to watch the scolding.
Once, when she was locked in the school’s equipment room, it was Balfour who found her. He knew she was terrified of the dark and small spaces, so he just held her, tight and steady, promising not to let go.”
He’d told her, “From now on, no matter what, I’ll never let go of your hand. I’ll never lose you.”
After graduation exams, Lynne discovered her parents had been divorced for years, lying to her all along.
Devastated, she ran away from home. It was Balfour who tracked her down, bringing her back to the apartment he rented near campus.
She could still remember the vow he made that day.
“If no one else wants you, I do. If no one takes care of you, I will
Balfour had asked her to trust him, swearing he would never betray her.
She believed him.
But he’d broken that promise.
Worse, he’d built their life on a colossal lie.
Lynne sat awake until dawn. When the first rays of sunlight touched her, she rubbed her burning eyes and reached for her phone.
She dialed her mother, who was living overseas.
“I want to leave Balfour. Can you help me?“}
Her mother was quiet for a moment. “What do you need?“}
“I want you to help me stage a plane crash.“>
That was how Balfour had chosen to betray her–by making her disappear.}
Now, Lynne wanted him to know what it felt like to lose everything. She wanted him to taste the same pain.”
Chapter 3
