Part 1The Love That Faded Away

On our wedding night, Timothy Soloman tossed a pack of contraceptive pills at me once it was over.

"Amanda, you can't get pregnant."

My brows knitted together. "But there's nothing wrong with my body."

He shook his head. "That's not why.

"I have a son. He's already five. I married you, but I also promised her there wouldn't be a second child."

I felt like I'd been dropped into an ice cellar, my whole body shaking without end.

"Who is she? Why are you telling me this only now?" I asked.

"The girl you used to sponsor, the one who couldn't afford her tuition. She's been clinging to me, and I can't shake her loose.

"But don't worry. You're the only one in my heart. You will always be my lawfully wedded wife; no one else."

The marks Timothy had left on my body were still there. I looked down at the glaring red streaks across my skin, and I almost wanted to laugh at how absurd it all was.

"Timothy," I said. "Let's get a divorce."

* * *

Timothy Soloman grabbed my wrist. "Is this really worth getting a divorce over?"

"I've given you everything I have: the title of Mrs. Soloman, more spending money than you could ever use, and I've even been searching for a bone marrow donor to save your brother's life.

"It's just a child. I never meant to hide it from you. Does it really matter that much?"

His brows furrowed, his displeasure plain.

I wrenched my arm free. "I want you to cut things off with Cathleen. Let her take that child and leave Ciscosta Bay for good. Otherwise, don't ever expect me to forgive you."

"He's my son, and I've raised him for five years. I can't bring myself to abandon him."

Timothy sighed and lit a cigarette. The smoke curled toward me, stinging my nose and stirring up a bitter ache in my chest.

Five years. We'd only been together for seven ourselves.

So in our second year together, he'd already been unfaithful, and he'd had a child with someone else.

Counting back, that was the same year my brother, Gary Castor, was diagnosed with leukemia.

The moment Timothy heard the news, he cut his business trip short and rushed home. He'd held me at the hospital while I shook with fear and kept telling me it would be fine.

"Gary will be okay. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to him."

Except he hadn't been on a business trip at all. He'd been off with his mistress while she gave birth to his son.

"Amanda, forgive me. Can we just put this behind us?"

Timothy crushed out his cigarette and stepped toward me, trying to pull me into his arms.

"I promise you won't ever be wronged like this again."

I pushed him away, pulled my clothes back on, and walked out without another word.

The night in Ciscosta Bay was cold, and a chill wind cut through it. The heat that anger had brought to my face faded fast in the cold.

I wandered the streets in a daze, not sure where I was even headed.

Years ago, my parents had passed away and left Gary and me with only each other. Then Timothy had come into my life, and I'd thought fate had finally decided to be kind to me. I'd truly believed he loved me enough to last a lifetime, that he'd never betray me.

Seven years later, and all I had to show for it was learning, on our wedding night, that he'd been cheating on me all along.

That was when my phone rang.

It was the caregiver.

"Ms. Castor, your brother's condition just took a turn for the worse. We're afraid he might not make it. He wouldn't let me call you. He said he didn't want to ruin your wedding night."

My chest clenched tight.

"I'm coming right now. Please, just take care of him."

By the time I reached the hospital, it took a long while before Gary finally came to. He looked terrible, his face pale as paper.

"Amanda, you came."

Seeing him like that, all the emotion I'd been holding back finally broke loose.

My voice cracked. "How could you be so foolish? You nearly died, and you still tried to hide it from me?"

"They can't find a matching donor. I could go any time. Don't be too sad, Amanda."

Gary gave a self-deprecating little laugh. "I won't be able to protect you anymore. It's a good thing Timothy really does care about you."

"Don't say that." Tears spilled down my face. "I'll find a way to get you that bone marrow."

I didn't want him to see me cry and make him feel worse, so I stepped out of the room and went to the hallway to collect myself.