Five Years Of Marriage And I Was A Name He’d Never Mentioned Chapter 04

Five Years Of Marriage And I Was A Name He’d Never Mentioned Chapter 04

The next day at noon, I got to the coffee shop early.

I ordered a black coffee and sat in the farthest corner to wait.

A little after twelve, Ivy walked in.

Short hair, white shirt, barely any makeup. She sat down quietly and ordered a caramel latte.

Plain. Almost boring.

But I saw the ranking above her head immediately.

Number one: Brandon Cole.

My husband was the most important person in her heart.

And she was one of the most important people in my husband’s heart.

Two rankings locked together like a closed circle.

And I was shut outside it.

Ivy opened her laptop, like she was editing some designs.

I got up to go to the restroom. As I passed her table, I caught a glimpse of her phone case.

A clear case with a photo tucked inside.

Two people walking side by side on the waterfront.

That railing. That lamp. I knew them so well I could recognize them in a dream.

And the thin chain on her wrist.

I knew that brand too. Brandon bought me jewelry from that store almost every year.

I walked into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror for a few seconds before I turned on the faucet.

Cold water hit my face and dripped off my chin.

My hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

Back at my table, I picked up my coffee and walked over to sit across from her.

“Hey, I see you come here a lot too?”

Ivy blinked, then gave a polite smile.

“Yeah, I really like their caramel latte.”

I looked at that milky coffee, and something heavy pressed against my chest.

We made small talk. Cats, the weather, the new desserts at the shop.

She spoke slowly, softly. No edge at all.

Which only made my throat tighten more.

Casually, I asked, “You’re alone?”

Ivy looked down and smiled.

“No, my boyfriend has a meeting at noon. He’s coming to pick me up.”

Boyfriend. 　　Th word landed in my ears, and I went completely still.

She didn’t know.

She had no idea.

In her world, Brandon Cole was a clean, unattached boyfriend.

Not somebody else’s husband.

Not a man with a family.

And in his other life, I had been erased so completely that I didn’t even count as an existence.

Ivy’s phone rang.

She answered, her voice sweet. “Yeah, I’m at the usual spot. You’re almost here? Okay.”

She hung up and smiled at me. “Sorry, my boyfriend’s here. He’s a really good guy.”

Before I could say anything, the coffee shop door swung open.

Brandon walked in.

He was carrying two caramel lattes. His gaze naturally went to Ivy’s spot, and a relaxed smile started to form on his lips.

Then his eyes shifted one inch to the side.

He saw me.

And he froze completely.

That smile died on his face. The color drained from his skin.

The next second, his grip failed.

The paper bag hit the floor. The lids popped off. Coffee splashed everywhere.

The sweet scent of caramel filled the air.

The whole shop went silent.

Ivy looked at him, then at me, confused.

Brandon stood in the doorway like he’d been nailed to the spot.

I slowly stood and walked toward him.

The coffee spread around his feet like a dream that didn’t belong to me.

I stopped in front of him and looked at his ranking one last time.

Number one: Ivy Simmons. Number two: Mom. Number three: Lauren Cole.

I smiled softly.

“Brandon.”

“Do you know where I rank in your heart?”