Sophie stood on the balcony of the master bedroom, looking down at the garden.
The scene below was perfect. It was a tableau of a restored family. Victoria was sitting on the blanket, laughing as Leo pushed the truck over her leg. William stood a few feet away, watching them with a look of reverence and longing that he had never directed at Sophie.
Duty vs. Fate. And Fate was winning.
Sophie touched the cold railing. She had worn the white dress. She had said the vows. She had promised to be his shelter. But looking at them, she realized with devastating clarity that she wasn’t the shelter; she was the obstacle.
She was the “Wife in Waiting”, waiting for a husband who was already gone.
She turned her back on the garden, walked back into the empty bedroom, and picked up her phone. She didn’t call a lawyer. She dialed the only person who had offered her an escape.
“Lucas?” she whispered when he answered. “Can I come over?”