Chapter 4

I wait in his office for what feels like hours.The sun is going down.

Finally, I force myself to stand. I walk down the hallway toward the conference room.

The conference room has glass walls. The blinds aren't fully closed.

Through the gap, I see him.

He has Chloe pinned against the conference table. Papers scattered on the floor.

One of his hands is tangled in her hair, while the other is undoing her buttons. His mouth on her neck.

Her head tips back. Her fingers curl into the collar of his shirt. Her ankle hooks behind his calf, one heel dangling off her foot.

I push the door open. It slams against the wall.

They freeze.

Adrian turns. There's lipstick smeared across his mouth.

Chloe scrambles to button her shirt, another fresh mark shining wet on her neck.

"Nora, you—"

"Adrian." My face feels numb. "Was that Dean too?"

He steps in front of Chloe, shielding her. He wipes his mouth.

His expression flips from panic to weary irritation, like flipping a switch.

"It was Dean, Nora. I was working, and he just took over, I couldn't— Wait. What do you mean 'too'?"

He realizes I'm onto something. He slams his palm on the table.

"I told you about my condition before we got married. You said you didn't care. Now you're going to interrogate me?"

"What is this? You changed your mind? You regret marrying me?"

"You think I'm lying to you, Nora? Why the hell would I fake a mental illness? If I wanted to cheat, I'd just divorce you. What's the point of all this?"

I grip the edge of the table. My knuckles go white.

My head is roaring. The edges of my vision go black. A gray fog rolls in from everywhere at once.

"Adrian." I wipe the corner of my eye. "There's something I never told you."

"I have DID too. My doctor says my primary personality is about to disappear. The Nora who loves you... she's about to die."

The air stops moving.

Chloe laughs. Actually laughs.

"Wait. Wait. Adrian, did you hear that? She says she has it too? She's copying you now?"

Adrian shoots Chloe a warning look as he straightens up, his voice turning flat.

"Nora. You'd invent something this pathetic just to get my attention?"

"It's true. The report is at home. My nightstand drawer."

"Enough." He waves his hand like he's shooing a fly.

"You're being exhausting. I married you because you were reasonable. Now you're acting like every screeching wife in a bad movie."

Chloe twirls a piece of her hair around her finger.

"Nora, sweetie. You have too much time on your hands. Want me to hook you up with a part-time job? Give you something else to think about."

The pain in my chest snaps tight.

Everything blurs.

The last thing I see is their faces melting together, his and hers, twisted, close.

I hear the dull thud when the back of my head hits the corner of the table.

Then nothing.