“My love, I have to see Marietta today to finalize the preparations for tomorrow’s wedding,” Ivan said as he pulled a shirt from the closet and slipped it on. He walked over to where I was lying on the bed and pressed a gentle kiss on my cheek before grabbing his phone from the nightstand. “Take care of yourself, and please, don’t let my mother’s words get to you.”

I nodded, offering him a bright smile. As Ivan left, I shifted to the center of the bed, adjusting my position. Grabbing my phone from the nightstand, I decided to call Brenda. I needed to tell her about what had happened...