PART 2
Julian read the rest of the message twice.
Then a third time.
His hands began to shake.
One small detail I forgot to mention before your flight…
Every reservation for this honeymoon—including the suite, rental car, excursions, dinners, and return flights—was booked under my account and paid for with my credit card.
The moment I canceled my ticket, I also canceled every reservation connected to it.
You now have exactly one night in that suite because it was already charged before cancellation. Everything else is gone.
You’ll have to make your own arrangements.
Enjoy your business trip.
Julian looked around the luxurious room.
His smile disappeared.
Sienna grabbed her phone.
“Our snorkeling tour…”
Canceled.
“The sunset cruise…”
Canceled.
“The rental convertible…”
Canceled.
“The helicopter tour…”
Canceled.
Even their return flights had vanished because they were part of the honeymoon package Clara had purchased.
Julian looked at Sienna.
“You told me she’d never actually leave.”
Sienna swallowed.
“I… I thought she’d get angry and then calm down.”
Instead…
Clara had simply walked away.
Back in Manhattan, I unlocked the apartment I’d shared with Julian.
For the first time in months, it felt peaceful.
I changed out of my wedding dress.
Made myself a cup of tea.
Then I opened my laptop.
There was work to do.
People often imagine revenge as shouting.
Slamming doors.
Throwing rings across rooms.
I preferred paperwork.
Three weeks before the wedding, I’d quietly asked Julian to sign a prenuptial agreement.
He barely read it.
He trusted me completely.
He assumed it protected his assets.
It did.
It protected mine too.
More importantly, it contained one clause suggested by my attorney after Julian repeatedly postponed removing Sienna from every aspect of his business life.
If either spouse abandoned the marriage through an ongoing intimate relationship with another person beginning before or immediately after the wedding, the injured spouse could seek an expedited divorce and recover wedding expenses paid solely from their own funds.
Julian had laughed when signing it.
“You’re so practical.”
“I am.”
The next morning my lawyer called.
“Did he receive the message?”
“He did.”
“And?”
“I imagine Hawaii suddenly feels very expensive.”
She chuckled.
“I’ve already prepared the filing.”
“You expected this?”
“I hoped I was wrong.”
“So did I.”
Meanwhile, Maui wasn’t going well.
Julian spent most of the morning arguing with hotel management.
“I’m the groom!”
The manager remained polite.
“The reservation holder canceled.”
“There is nothing we can do.”
He tried calling airlines.
No seats available for three days without paying last-minute prices.
The replacement hotel cost four times what he’d expected.