Fifteen Days to Divorce novel · Chapter 5 of 24

Chapter 5: The Wife Stands on the Left

In the morning, Malachi was waiting for her in the kitchen with two cups of coffee.

He had set hers down exactly where she always sat, on the side nearest the window.

"Portia," he said. "About last night."

"I slept fine."

"The terrace."

"I know about Ellie," she said.

She had meant it to come out light.

It came out sounding like a door closing.

Malachi set his cup down.

"It's not what," he said, and stopped.

His jaw worked on the next word, and nothing came out of it.

He tried again, and it stuck again, and his bandaged hand closed into a fist on the counter.

"Later," he said at last.

Portia picked up the coffee and watched him leave the room.

He was choking on a lie, she thought, and it was a bad one.

The theater was dark except for the stage.

Four hundred empty seats looked down at a strip of red carpet that had been laid out for the premiere rehearsal.

Crew stood along the wall with clipboards.

A photographer from the studio sat on the edge of the stage with his camera across his knees.

Frances sat in the front row in a wide straw hat.

She had come to deliver the premiere dress, and she had decided to stay.

"I'm not leaving," Frances had said. "I'm a plus-one."

"You're not on the list."

"I'm a plus-one with a hat."

On the carpet, pieces of white tape marked where everyone would stand.

There was one at the left of the center mark, and one at the right.

The tape at the right said MALACHI.

The tape at the left said REESE.

Portia looked at it for a moment.

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