Chapter 1: The Secret That Broke Me
Maple Heights, where every mailbox has a flag and the high school football team is the Friday night main event, had a way of making secrets last longer than winter. Ethan Caldwell had a trusted advisor—everyone thought he was a tough, seasoned man. But by day, Sam Morgan helped Ethan lead; behind closed doors, she was the only one who ever made him let his guard down.
In a town like this, whispers grew legs and ran wild. The Caldwells were used to folks peering through their curtains or gossiping over bottomless mugs at Patty’s Diner. Ethan knew privacy was a myth. That’s why, when he came home, he wore his worry like an old letterman jacket—heavy, faded, but impossible to take off.
"Turns out Sam’s a woman. She’s had my back through everything, and with folks already talking, I’m making her my second wife."
His words landed like a storm warning over the prairie: measured, but carrying the threat of change. Across the room, someone set down their coffee mug a little too hard. A hush fell, thick and uneasy, as everyone tried to pretend they hadn’t just heard the ground shift beneath them.
"On the fifteenth of next month, you’ll both move in together."
He spoke like he was updating his planner, not blowing up our lives. The date hung in the air, heavy and certain as the church bells on Main Street.
"Order an extra wedding dress."
His tone was final—no room for argument. The memory of his first proposal, all nervous laughter and shy hope, flashed through my mind. I shoved it aside, swallowing the ache.
I nodded, the motion automatic. My stomach twisted, but I forced my face to stay as smooth as a pond at dawn.
As I left, I said, "There’s a letter from the governor’s office in your study, Ethan. Please take a look at it yourself."
The stack of official envelopes was just part of the scenery in his study, wedged between campaign flyers and old Sports Illustrateds. He figured it was just another note from the mayor about treating me right—same old lecture. He didn’t bother.
He didn’t realize it was our official annulment papers.