Part of me still clung to one last shred of pathetic hope—that I could reach whatever conscience he had left.

But Zachery was unwavering.

"How are you going to recover if you don't eat? I want you out of here as soon as possible. Be good."

He turned and left.

I closed my eyes.

I'd given him too much credit. Far too much.

If Zachery refused to feel an ounce of remorse, then he couldn't blame me for what came next.

I picked up my phone and dialed the number I'd saved days ago. "Hey. I need a favor..."

It was a long time before Zachery came back.

He handed me the meal. "Here, Ellie. Eat up."

"The university needs me to work late tonight, so I can't stay with you."

I knew he was rushing off to meet Gertrude at some hotel.

I said nothing about it.

"Okay. I'll finish it all. Go ahead."

Then I pulled out a document and handed it to him.

"The doctor says I need to stay for more observation. Can you sign this consent form for me?"

He didn't question it. He scrawled his name in a hurry and left, his steps practically bouncing.

I opened the location-sharing app on my phone.

His dot moved across the map and came to a stop at a couples' hotel.

A smile curved my lips. I dialed 911.

"I'd like to report my husband soliciting a prostitute. The location is..."

The meal went straight into the trash.

I flipped open the document Zachery had just signed—a divorce agreement granting him nothing—and felt genuinely pleased for the first time in days.

Five minutes later, my phone nearly exploded with his calls.

He bombarded me with messages. "Ellie, what the hell are you doing? Why did you report me?"

"I was just dropping something off! You're accusing me of soliciting?!"

I didn't respond. I powered off my phone and set it to silent.

Even if Zachery managed to talk his way out of it at the police station, at least it would ruin his night.

I ordered delivery and ate the first meal in days that didn't make my stomach turn.

Then I slept. Long and deep.

The next morning, Zachery woke me.

His face was ashen, his eyes webbed with red veins. He clearly hadn't slept.

"Ellie, why would you do that to me? How did you even know where I was?"

He was trying to figure out whether I already knew about their plan.

I let out a cold laugh. "Funny—I should be the one asking questions. I pulled up your location to check on you, and imagine my surprise when I saw you at a hotel."

"Did you do something behind my back? Tell me!"