What Was Lost

Chapter 2

6 Months Earlier

Grace lifts a weary hand to her forehead, rubbing at the tension that has built up over yet another tiresome conversation. Ryan is standing across from her, hands outstretched in frustration. "I can't keep doing this, Ryan," she says.

He lets out a groan of exasperation. "What do you want me to do, Grace? Drop out? We should have had this discussion months ago when I first mentioned running again."

"We did, and you promised me you would try harder," Grace reminds him, her voice tinged with disappointment. "But nothing has changed. I feel like our marriage has become more of a business arrangement than a partnership."

"You're not a business arrangement," he snaps, the words sharp and cutting through the tense air between them. It's a familiar argument, one they've had countless times before, but his anger is still surprising to her.

In frustration, he runs his hands through his perfectly styled golden hair, causing it to fall out of place. His blue eyes are clouded with stress and exhaustion as he looks at her. "What do you want?"

She takes a moment to gather her thoughts before replying. "I've told you. I want a partner. I want someone who wants to spend time with me and is genuinely happy to see me."

He lets out a sigh, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "You know I'm under a lot of pressure. This has nothing to do with you—" He trails off, unable to meet her gaze. The weight of their constant arguments seems to be taking its toll on him.

"Yes, you've been saying that same phrase over and over, like a broken record, and I believe you. But when do we stop pretending that this is a temporary situation, something that will change or pass, and start accepting that this is our life now?" She challenges with an edge to her voice. "You used to be happy here, in our home. You used to look forward to coming back after your trips. But now it seems like you'd rather be in DC. You make excuses to stay there...and don't even try to deny it. I know you too well, Ryan. Things have changed between us, but at least I am willing to admit it."

With a heavy sigh, he furrows his brow in deep thought. "After the election, we'll take a much-needed break. We'll go on a real vacation for a couple of weeks, just you and me. Wherever you want to go, we'll go."

She lets out another sigh, feeling frustrated that he still doesn't seem to understand. "And then what? We come back and fall right back into the same old routine? A vacation isn't going to magically fix the problems between us."

He braces his arms against the sleek marble of the kitchen island as he drops his head. His voice is soft and hoarse, filled with a mixture of desperation and defeat. Grace takes a deep breath, feeling her nerves prickle beneath her skin. She has been holding these thoughts inside for so long, confiding in her friends and therapist about him, discussing their relationship behind his back. But she knows that it's time for her to express them to him, no matter how much it may change things between them. Despite all the frustration and exhaustion he's caused her, she still loves him deeply and doesn't want to hurt him. It's taken her this long to realize that love alone is not enough anymore. Pretending everything is okay is simply not an option for her any longer.

"I can't do this anymore," she exhales, the words weighed down by a heavy sense of finality. "I've talked to Prisha and she believes we can have a pretty straightforward divorce with the prenup—"

A jolt of surprise courses through him, causing him to jerk back instinctively. His handsome face contorts into a mix of shock and disbelief as her words sink in. "You're talking to Prisha? Shit, Grace." He runs his hands down his face, dragging them along the stubble on his jawline.

Prisha was one of her closest friends from college, a formidable lawyer who specializes in divorce. It had been a couple of weeks since Grace confided in her about her marital struggles. But for Ryan, it seemed like news out of the blue.