Chapter 1 - THE SURPRISE THAT DESTROYED MY MARRIAGE
Captain Daniel Mercer held out his hand.
“Ryan. Your crew ID.”
My husband stared at him.
For the first time since walking out of the cruise terminal with another woman wrapped around his waist, Ryan looked frightened.
“Captain, please. This is a misunderstanding.”
Daniel's expression didn't change.
“A misunderstanding?”
Ryan swallowed.
“I was joking around with my wife.”
I almost laughed.
Joking.
Apparently, admitting to sleeping with multiple women while your wife stood beside a stroller containing your three-month-old daughters qualified as comedy.
The woman beside him folded her arms.
“Ryan, you told me you were separated.”
I looked at her.
“Did he?”
She hesitated.
“He said your marriage was basically over.”
I nodded slowly.
“That's interesting. He called me yesterday and told me he loved me.”
Ryan turned sharply.
“Claire, stop.”
I looked at him.
“Why? I'm just sharing information.”
Captain Mercer stepped closer.
“Ryan, hand over your identification.”
Ryan finally removed the card from his jacket.
His hands were shaking.
Daniel took it.
“Effective immediately, you're removed from active duty pending an investigation.”
Ryan's face drained.
“You can't do that.”
“I can remove you from duty pending review of a potential violation of our crew-passenger conduct policy.”
The woman beside Ryan took another step away.
“Wait. Am I involved in this?”
Daniel looked at her suitcase.
“You may be contacted as a witness.”
She stared at Ryan.
“You told me nobody would find out.”
The silence that followed was extraordinary.
Ryan closed his eyes.
I looked down at the stroller.
Our daughters, Lily and Grace, were sleeping peacefully.
Their tiny fists rested beside their cheeks.
They had no idea their father had just destroyed our marriage before meeting them.
I adjusted Grace's blanket.
Then I looked at Ryan.
“Would you like to hold your daughters?”
He stared at me.
“What?”
“You said you couldn't wait to meet them.”
His eyes flickered toward the babies.
For a moment, I saw something that resembled guilt.
Then he glanced toward the captain.
“Claire, can we talk privately?”
I smiled.
“No.”
“Please.”
“You had months to talk to me privately.”
His jaw tightened.
“This isn't fair.”
I looked at him.
“Fair?”
My voice remained quiet.
“I gave birth to twins while you were at sea. I spent three nights in the hospital after an emergency delivery. I learned how to feed two babies, survive on two hours of sleep, and pay our bills without you.”
Ryan looked away.
“You told me everything was fine.”
“Because I didn't want you worrying while you worked.”
His mistress stared at him.
I continued.
“You called every night and told me you missed us.”
“Claire—”
“You told me you were counting the days until you could hold your daughters.”
Tears burned behind my eyes.
“And apparently, between those phone calls, you were sleeping with passengers.”
Ryan said nothing.
I looked at the captain.
“I'm sorry this happened in front of your staff.”
Daniel's expression softened.
“You have nothing to apologize for.”
The crew coordinator, Melissa Grant, stepped forward.
“Mrs. Bennett, would you like us to arrange a private room? You and the babies shouldn't have to stand here.”
I nodded.
“Thank you.”
Ryan reached for my arm.
“Claire, wait.”
I stepped away.
“Don't touch me.”
He froze.
I looked at the man I'd married four years earlier.
The man who'd promised to love me through sickness and health.
The man who'd kissed my pregnant stomach before boarding his ship.
“I came here because I thought our daughters deserved to meet their father.”
My voice broke.
“But they deserve something else even more.”
Ryan swallowed.
“What?”
“A mother who knows when to walk away.”
I turned the stroller.
And walked toward the private lounge.
Behind me, Ryan called my name.
I didn't look back.
Because the woman who had entered that terminal was still hoping for a happy family reunion.
May you like
The woman leaving it had just learned she would have to build a different kind of family.
And she had no idea that the most painful part was still ahead.
