Chapter 1: The Secret Visa

The day my husband's work visa got approved was the day my whole world flipped upside down. That’s when I found out—by accident—that he’d been planning to leave for a five-year business assignment overseas without ever telling me.

The memory still stings, sharp and sudden, like a slap across the face. Anger crawled up my spine, so fierce my hands trembled as I sliced apples for the kids’ lunches. I bit the inside of my cheek, forcing a smile while his parents chatted over coffee. I kept packing sandwiches, smoothing hair, pretending I wasn’t about to break in half.

It wasn’t until the night before he left that I finally managed to corner him, just the two of us.

The first thing he said—barely meeting my eyes—was, "I knew you’d try to talk me out of it. But Nat, I can’t just walk away from this."

My fists clenched so tight my nails dug into my palms. "So what am I supposed to do? Am I just supposed to take care of both kids by myself, and look after your parents too?"

He wouldn’t look at me. "Just hang in there, Natalie. Think of it as doing this for me, for the kids. After I come back, everything will be different. At the very least, I’ll be promoted to assistant vice president. While I’m abroad, I’ll have fifteen days of vacation a year—I promise I’ll come back to see you all. As for salary, I’ll get paid by both the company here and the one overseas."

No matter how many ways I tried to reason with him, the next morning at seven sharp, he still walked out the door for his overseas assignment.

The first message he got after landing? My divorce agreement.

And five years later, when he came back to the States, the first thing waiting for him was my wedding invitation.