I turned down the offer of a company car to enjoy the speed and versatility of my sleek, black Chevrolet Corvette, which I arranged to have waiting for me when I arrived in Vegas. As soon as I open the door, a wave of heat smacks us in the face.

I wait for Laura to get in before I take my seat behind the wheel.

“It’s hot as hell in here.” Laura leans back against the black leather. “We’re going to roast.”

I press down on a button by the dash, and watch Laura look up with excitement as the roof of the car disappears behind us.

“A convertible.” There’s a smile on her face. “It must make life on the road more exciting.”

“It used to. The bar has been raised, though.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t think a trip will ever be exciting again unless it ends in wedding vows.”

Laura shakes her head in mock-despair. “Are you really joking about it? My chest still hasn’t loosened up. That uptight adviser was terrifying.”

I smirk. “What’s done is done. We’re both on the same page. We’re not a bitter couple fighting about how our property is going to get divided.”

Traditionally, each spouse gets half of everything during a divorce. I didn’t even think about that when I urged Laura into marrying me on a whim. Technically, she could demand half of everything I own.

Giving her a sideways glance and watching her staring at the sky as the light breeze picks up her hair, I feel at ease. I trust her.

“Half of what I own would constitute fourteen boxes of heart-shaped confetti, six packs of garters, and unlimited card stock.” She glances across at me with a sparkle in her eye. “My lawyer will be in touch.”

“All right, but I keep the mood ring and fake bow tie.”

“As long as I get the veil and hotel toiletries.”

I laugh. “You took the hotel toiletries?”

“Of course.” She pulls a mini shampoo out of the front pocket of her denim dress, pops the top open and breathes in the scent deeply. “It smells like caramel.”

“Deal. The mini toiletries are all yours.”

Laura smiles and glances across at me with fondness in her eyes. “I’m joking, you know. What’s yours is yours. I’m not going to go all gold-digger on you.”

“I know.”

I put the car into drive, and we set off out of Vegas. Laura rests her head against the headrest and says nothing, enjoying the feeling of wind on her face.

She twists in her chair when she hears my phone ringing. It’s in my jacket pocket on the back seat.

As soon as I hear the familiar ringtone, I’m uneasy. The call could be something important — a sale or a call from the office.

Or it could be Alice.

I think about the last time I saw her.

I walk in and set my briefcase down in the hall. I’ve been in a board meeting all day with the CEO and upper management ahead of the three-month trip I’m about to take. I’m exhausted.

At least my manager was kind enough to let me head out early to pack and rest before setting off in the morning. I’m flying out to North Dakota, Texas and New Mexico, before landing in Nevada and completing the second leg of the trip by car through five different states before finally returning home.

As I enter my apartment, I can hear noises coming from my bedroom.

“Alice?”

She’s probably making another Instagram video to push the makeup brand she sponsors.

I head toward the bedroom and slowly push the already-ajar door softly inward. It opens on something I wish I hadn’t seen.

Alice is completely naked, riding a blond, buff jerk in our bed. The jerk spots me and cusses, throwing Alice off him. She turns around, spots me, and her eyes widen. She grabs the sheets from the bed and wraps them around herself. The jerk scrabbles to find his clothes.

“Adam! You’re not supposed to be back until late.”

I glare at her. “Alice, get some fucking clothes on. I’ll be in the living room.” I point my finger at the jerk threateningly. “You have thirty seconds to get out of my apartment before I lose my goddamned mind.”

I go into the living room and pour a large measure of whiskey. My skin is prickling with hot anger. I’ve been betrayed.

I don’t look up when the jerk scrambles past me and escapes out the apartment. I stare blankly ahead, waiting for Alice to face the music. She appears moments later with her robe wrapped around her and her head hung in shame.

She sits down next to me. I get up and put some space between us. I can’t stand to look at her.

“Adam, I’m so sorry.”

“Is this what you do when I’m out working? What happens when I’m on the road? Do you move your little side-piece in and fuck him for months at a time?”

“It’s not like that.”

I spin on my heel and glare at her. She sits there looking like the picture of innocence. Her long blonde hair is draped over one shoulder. She plays with it anxiously, twisting strands around her finger as she bites down on her lip.

“Tell me what it’s like, then.”

“It hasn’t been easy for me. You’re never here.”

“I’ve asked you a hundred times if you want to come with me on my trips.”

“And I’ve told you, I can’t. I have to work.”

“You’re a fucking Instagram model.”

“See?” She narrows her eyes and scowls. “This is your problem. You don’t take what I do seriously.”

“Don’t you dare try and turn this around on me. You’re the one who’s been fucking a guy behind my back. Is it just him? Are there others?”

“It was a one-time mistake.”

“I highly doubt that.”

Alice rises from her chair and comes to me. She tries to wrap her arms around me, fluttering her eyes, simpering with her lower lip stuck out like a scolded child.

“I’ve been lonely, Adam.”

“Loneliness has nothing to do with it. You’re selfish. If you want money, I give you money. You want to go out, we go out. If you feel like getting laid, you get laid, whether I’m there or not.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Isn’t it?”

“You don’t treat me like a real human being. I’m just a trophy to you, but you don’t really care. If you did, you’d have quit your job long ago and been around. It’s been twelve years, and we’re no closer to getting married than when you proposed five years ago. Tell me honestly, do you have any intention of marrying me, or did you propose to shut me up?”

“Is that why you’re cheating on me? To get back at me for not putting a ring on your finger sooner?”

“Grow up!” She turns away from me and folds her arms across her chest. Her voice becomes low and bitter. “You talk about being selfish, but you’re hardly one to talk. Our whole lives revolve around what you want. I hate your career. I hate that you’re never home, but you won’t give it up.”

I gesture around wildly. “How do you think I pay for all of this?” I pick up a pair of her diamond earrings she’s left on the coffee table and throw them across the room. “You want diamonds, designer clothes, and expensive trips. Would you even be with me if I weren’t paying for all of this?”

She blinks back tears. “Do you think that little of me?”

“You didn’t look twice at me until I made my first million. I was chasing you for years when we were young. You didn’t want to date me when the offer was a bus trip to a diner, but you were suddenly interested when it was a Mercedes to a five-star restaurant. Even now, it’s like you don’t really care for me. You enjoy the rich lifestyle, but we’re never going to have a family.”

Alice rolls her eyes dramatically and throws her hands up in the air. “Is this about a baby again? Why would I want to have a baby with you when you’re never here? You’re the one who won’t settle down.”

“If I quit my job, would you be quite happy to get pregnant and move to the suburbs? Would you be a soccer mom and do charity bakes?”

She crumples into a chair. “What do you want from me, Adam?”

“I don’t know.”

I move into the bedroom and pull my case down from the top of the closet, throwing suits, underwear, and toiletries into it.

Alice follows and stands in the doorway watching me. She twists her engagement ring on her finger as the tears roll down her cheeks.

“You’re walking out on me?”

“I’m leaving on a business trip.”

“How long will you be gone?”

“Three months.”

“And you’re walking out right now? You can’t go. We need to talk about this.”

“There’s nothing to say.”

Her chin wobbles. “Is that it? After twelve years, you’re going to run away at the first hurdle?”

I turn back to face her with an incredulous expression on my face. “First hurdle? We’ve been at each other’s throats for years. Maybe we’re just not compatible.”

“We wouldn’t have stayed together for twelve years if that were true.”

“I’m not talking about this now.”

Alice stamps her foot on the ground. “Fine, run away. Go on your little trip. But don’t expect me to be here when you get back.”