Crucial meetings.
Claire was naturally confident. She'd never been one to spy on a partner.
Yet, one name made her uncomfortable.
Chloe.
Ryan's secretary.
Young.
Beautiful.
Silent with others.
And he always looked at Ryan like he was the center of his world.
At a Christmas party in Seattle, Chloe had practically followed him around all night. She laughed at every joke he made. She invented reasons to touch him again and again. I watched him with unmistakable admiration.
When Claire brought it up later, Ryan immediately interrupted.
"You're thinking too much."
Then he uttered the sentence that now sounded too rehearsed.
"You're insecure."
That Tuesday morning, Claire took a 7:00 a.m. flight to Denver due to a serious issue with her supplier at work. Exhausted after barely sleeping, she went through security and bought an expensive coffee at the airport before boarding.
Ryan had said he was flying to Portland.
Before boarding the plane, Claire wrote to him.
Nice flight. I love you.
He responded almost immediately.
I love you too. Boarding for Portland now.
Claire put her cell phone away and headed for row fourteen.
He sat on the window seat and closed his eyes.
Then he heard her voice.
"Take the window seat, darling."
His whole body remained still.
Slowly, he leaned out into the corridor and looked toward first class.
Ryan was there, helping Chloe put her bags in the overhead bin.
Like a husband who helps his partner.
Chloe was wearing a cream coat that Claire immediately recognized from a photo of an office event months earlier. And the smile she gave Ryan was unprofessional.
He was possessive.
Claire felt her breathing catch.
But she remained perfectly composed.
He didn't scream.
They didn't collapse. They didn't
I confirmed them, he passed them to me right away.
Instead, he observed.
He watched him sitting next to Chloe. He watched Chloe take off her shoes and curl up on the seat next to him as if she belonged there. He saw Ryan place his hand on hers with ease, serendipity, and confidence.
After takeoff, Chloe rested her head on Ryan's shoulder.
Later, he placed her on his lap.
Ryan gently brushed her hair back from her face with a tenderness Claire hadn't received in months.
Then came the coup that ended everything.
A flight attendant smiled politely.
"Sir, does your wife want a blanket?"
Ryan smiled back.
"Yes please."
He didn't correct it.
It was that moment when something inside Claire stopped hurting. And began to become as cold as ice.
He calmly rose from his seat, adjusted his jacket and headed towards first class while the nearby passengers watched in silence.
Ryan finally saw her when she was right next to him.
All the color drained from her face.
Chloe nearly jumped to her feet in panic.
Silence fell between them.
Then Claire smiled slowly.
Coldly.
That smile that makes guilty people realize too late that they have made a terrible mistake.
He leaned over and whispered softly,
"Wow, honey... Your surrogate wife looks younger than I expected."
Ryan tried to speak.
Not a word came out.
Chloe looked terrified.
Meanwhile, Claire reached into her purse, pulled out her phone, and made the call that would destroy Ryan's entire carefully constructed life.
you'll believe what happened next...
(I know you're curious about the next part, so bear with me and keep reading in the comments below. Thank you for your understanding of the inconvenience. Leave a 'YES' comment below and like for the full story.)
