I expected to find him waiting alone and perhaps slightly annoyed, but instead I saw a group gathered near the seaplane.
Caleb stood there with his mother, Margot, his father, Arthur, and Tessa—his college ex—who was dressed in a flowing white linen dress as though she were the guest of honor.
Tessa reached out and touched his arm with a familiarity that made my blood run cold, and she did not pull away when I approached.
Margot looked me up and down with her usual expression of thinly veiled disdain, adjusting her expensive sun hat as I walked toward them.
“It is about time you arrived, Lydia, especially since I invited my parents and Tessa because she has been going through such a difficult time lately,” Caleb said with a shrug.
My throat tightened as I looked at the woman who had always been a shadow over our marriage.
“You invited your ex-girlfriend to our private anniversary trip without even asking me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
He sighed and rolled his eyes as if I were being unreasonable.
“Do not start with your typical CEO drama, Lydia, because you can just focus on taking care of the food and making sure the villa stays tidy while we enjoy ourselves,” he said firmly.
He straightened his collar and looked at the pilot, ignoring the shock on my face.
“It will do you some good to do something useful with your hands for once instead of just barking orders at your employees,” he added.
Margot then stepped forward and delivered the sentence that finally snapped the last thread of my patience.
“It is truly the very least you can do considering you are living off my son’s hard-earned money and status,” she said with a smug smile.
I looked at Caleb, waiting for him to defend me or at least correct the blatant lie his mother had just told.
He did neither, simply adjusting his sunglasses and offering a satisfied smirk to his father.
I found myself smiling back—but it was no longer the gentle smile of a wife trying to please her husband.
It was the expression of a woman who had finally awakened from a long and costly nightmare.
None of the people standing on that dock had any idea what was about to happen next.
“You are absolutely right, Margot, and I can see now that I have been doing far too much for far too long,” I said calmly.
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Tessa let out a small, high-pitched giggle and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I am glad she finally understands her place in the family,” Tessa murmured to Margot.
I did not respond. Instead, I took my phone from my bag and stepped into the shade of the terminal.
