---- Chapter 5 Jody POV: Dinner was a quiet, torturous affair. | sat at one end of the long, polished dining table, a lonely island in a sea of mahogany. Claudia had taken my usual seat, the one to Arthur' s right. She sat there now, beaming, as if she were already the lady of the house. Arthur was peeling shrimp for her, placing them delicately on her plate, cooing at her to eat more for the baby. They were a perfect picture of domestic bliss, so natural and in sync that it made my stomach churn. | was an intruder in my own home, a spectator to my own life' s demolition. "| have to fly to London for a few days," Arthur announced, finally turning his attention to me. "A big acquisition. | need you to stay here and take care of Claudia while I'm gone." It wasn' t a request. It was an order. | was to be her keeper, her servant. "Okay," | said, my voice placid. | pushed a piece of broccoli around my plate. He seemed surprised by my easy compliance. "Good. That's good." He looked relieved, as if he' d been expecting a fight. ---- Claudia giggled, a high, girlish sound. "Are you going to London to get me a birthday present, Arthur? My birthday is next week!" "Just eat your dinner, Claudia," he said, but he was smiling. He reached over to fill her soup bowl. His hand then moved towards my empty one, a gesture born of years of habit. "Don' t' | said, my voice sharp. | placed my hand over my bowl. "I'm not hungry." He froze, his hand hovering in mid-air. An awkward silence fell over the table. He looked at me, really looked at me for the first time all evening, and a flicker of confusion crossed his face. He knew something was wrong, knew that the Jody who loved him would never have spoken to him with such coldness. But he couldn' t articulate it. The chasm that had opened between us was too vast for him to comprehend. He slowly withdrew his hand. After dinner, a sales associate from a high-end jewelry brand arrived for a private showing. It was a common occurrence, a way for Arthur to placate me after one of his transgressions. | emotionlessly picked out a few simple pieces, my mind already on a plane to a new life. Then, the saleswoman brought out a velvet box. "Mr. Lowery, the custom necklace to match Ms. Campbell's wedding dress has arrived. Would you like to see it?" ---- She opened the box to reveal a stunning diamond and sapphire necklace, designed to match a constellation pattern on my gown. It was beautiful. It was meaningless. "It's perfect," | said, my voice flat. "No changes needed." Before | could even reach for it, Claudia snatched it from the box. She clasped it around her own neck, the diamonds glittering against her skin. "Oh, Arthur, it' s gorgeous! It would look so much better on me. Can you get me one just like it?" The saleswoman smiled politely. "I' m afraid that' s not possible, Ms. Sloan. This is a one-of-a-kind, custom piece, designed specifically for Ms. Campbell." Claudia' s face fell. She turned to Arthur, her eyes welling up with tears. It was a masterful performance. Arthur didn' t hesitate. "Jody, give the necklace to Claudia," he said, his voice firm, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I' Il buy you another one." Even the saleswoman looked shocked. But | just nodded. "Of course." | turned to leave the room. "I 'm tired. I'm going to bed." | didn' t look back. | didn' t need to see the triumphant smirk on Claudia' s face or the confused frown on Arthur' s. | walked up the stairs, each step feeling lighter than the last. Arthur watched me go, a strange unease settling in his gut. ---- The old Jody would have argued. She would have cried. She would have fought for the symbol of their love. This new, quiet, compliant Jody was a stranger to him, and her stillness was more unsettling than any fight. He almost followed me, almost demanded to know what had changed. But then Claudia called his name, asking him which diamond ring he thought suited her best, and the moment was lost. He turned back to her, pushing the unease away, choosing the easy, familiar path of placating her. He knocked on my door before he left for the airport the next morning. "l' m leaving now," he said through the wood. "Remember to take good care of Claudia." | opened the door and just nodded, my face a blank mask. A knot formed in his stomach. "Jody..." he started, but he didn' t know what to say. | just stared at him, my silence a wall he couldn' t breach. Finally, | just closed the door in his face, leaving him alone in the hallway with his unnamed anxiety.