*Shelby*Lauren looked… humbled.Even her clothes were telling. She wore a long, demure skirt and a blouse that didn’t show a hint of cleavage and covered her arms down to her elbows. No big brand names or luxurious accessories. Her hair also needed a wash.I’d never seen her dress so modestly or look so run-down, and I had an inkling of what she was trying to accomplish by coming here. I stood there, frozen, not knowing what to do. I wasn’t sure Michael would want to see her, and part of me didn’t want Michael’s day to start off with a fight. On the other hand, I couldn’t make those decisions for him.“Come in,” I said, stepping aside to let her pass. I closed the door and gestured for her to sit in the adjacent living room, just as I heard Michael’s quick steps running down the stairs. “What smells so good? My mouth is watering! Shelby, honey—” He froze when he saw Lauren sitting on the couch. She gave him a smile and a quick wave.Michael’s eyes focused on me,
*Shelby*After a hasty breakfast, Lauren’s words still lingered in my mind. The click of the coffee pot being pulled off of the warmer snapped me back to reality. I set my phone down on the counter and flashed Michael a soft smile. He grabbed a travel mug from the cupboard and poured the remainder of the dark liquid into his cup. While he screwed the lid into place, he leaned over and kissed me quickly on the lips.“I’m so sorry I don’t have time to say much in the way of a goodbye, but thank you for breakfast. I had an emergency meeting with investors pop up last minute,” Michael said, slipping his arms through his sport coat.“That’s okay, I understand. Will I see you for dinner?” I asked.“Yes, you will. I’ll make sure I’m home by five at the latest. What are your plans for the day?” Michael asked.“I’m going to the country club to make sure everything is ready for tomorrow,” I answered.A huge smile took over Michael’s face, “Well, that sounds like a great way to spend
*Shelby*I woke up and stretched across the king-size bed. It felt so strange to be in such a large bed all by myself. I lay there, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings of the hotel room. Then the realization hit me; it was my wedding day. The day I was going to become Mrs. Shelby Astor.I sat bolt upright, and let my feet hit the floor. In one swift motion, I was up and taking leaps across the room with a little squeal. I swung open the door and rushed into the main room of the hotel suite.“Aubs! Lin! Get up! I’m getting married today!” I squealed.Within a few seconds, Aubrey was up, rubbing her eyes as she opened the door to her private room. All we heard from Lin’s room was a sleepy moan, which made me laugh loudly.“I know that some brides get cold feet on their wedding day, but something tells me we don’t have to worry about that with you,” Aubrey said, yawning a little.“I can’t believe it’s actually here, Aubs. I mean, after all that we’ve gone t
*Shelby***One Year Later**“To you, my amazingly talented, intelligent, and beautiful wife,” Michael said, holding a glass of wine in the air over our cozy two-person table.I clinked my glass on his and took a small sip of the wine as I looked out over the dark blue sky littered with thousands of tiny bits of starlight. The lights of the city shone brightly below, illuminating the blue dome roofs over the buildings. The waves crashed against the cliff faces below, sending bits of seawater into the air, making everything smell like salt.We’d been in Greece for the last few days and were currently eating dinner in a quaint little restaurant toward the top of the city, with an amazing view. For the past month, we’d been touring Italy and Greece on our yacht. I’d recently graduated from NYU with my law degree, and Michael planned the trip as a way to celebrate. I’d been interning at a law firm called Stockton and Associates, and I was surprised by their o
*Shelby**Five Months later*I sat staring out the small window in my office. It was nowhere near as impressive a view as Michael's top-floor CEO office, but I liked the fact that it was mine. I’d been an attorney at Stockton and Associates for five months now, and just last month, I was promoted from my tiny cubicle in the corner to my very own office.I’d framed photographs of Michael and me at our wedding, at a castle in Ireland on our honeymoon, and of us in Greece from our most recent vacation. I couldn't help but imagine another picture frame of a beautiful little baby, swaddled up tight in a hospital bassinet sitting next to the rest. Michael and I had taken a more active approach to try to have a baby. I took my temperature every morning to track my fertility window, and our bathroom was littered with boxes and boxes of ovulation tests. It seemed like the majority of my free time I now spent thinking of our future family. I even had an entire nursery planne
*Shelby*As soon as the soles of my worn-out converse hit the wood of the dock, I knew I was underdressed. My old roommate, Lauren, invited me to spend a few weeks with her on her father's boat. However, it was not just a boat. An enormous white yacht was docked at the end of the pier. The yacht's sides were lined with three stories of windows reflecting the ocean's crystal clear water.From where I was standing, I could make out a double staircase leading to an upper deck with a circular swimming pool large enough to land a helicopter in. Men and women in matching black and white uniforms paced the decks, preparing the ship to leave the marina.When Lauren had invited me, I had no idea the vacation would be so extravagant. If I had known, I would have packed something nicer than my department store shorts and tank tops. Truthfully, I didn't own anything that wouldn't make me feel undressed on a yacht that likely cost more than a private island.“Wow,” I sai
*Shelby*“Todd?” I said, completely dumbfounded by the fact that my very recent ex-boyfriend was standing in front of me with his arm around Lauren.“Yes, I’m Lauren’s boyfriend. Lauren told me one of her old roommates would be joining us.”“Um, yes. I’m Shelby.” I responded awkwardly. At first, I didn’t understand why Todd would act like he didn’t know me, but then a lump formed in my throat. Lauren said they had been together for four months.“Shelby, you should go get changed, and we can all go up to dinner together. We are eating on the rooftop deck tonight.” Lauren said, completely missing the strangeness of my interaction with Todd. She snapped her fingers again at another member of the yacht staff.“Will you show Miss Shelby to her room?”“Of course, Miss Lauren. If you will follow me, Miss Shelby,” the woman said and started walking towards the double doors leading into the ship. I glanced back at Todd and Lauren and quickly wished I h
*Michael*I was walking down the hallway on my way to the upper deck when I heard a loud burst of laughter. I sighed in frustration; this was supposed to be a quiet escape from work, yet my yacht was full of a bunch of twenty-year-olds. I had invited Lauren, my daughter, as a way to spend a bit of time together this summer, partly out of guilt for not being around much when she was younger. Lauren asked if she could bring her new boyfriend along, and I agreed without much thought. I had met Todd earlier in the week over breakfast, and he seemed like a good kid. He worked in finance for his father’s financial firm in New York, so we immediately had so much to talk about. He was very complimentary of my recent purchase of Explore Air, the second airline that I now owned. It truly was a good purchase, and I had big plans for expansion. I was impressed that Lauren had picked someone who was putting down roots, and he seemed like a stable choice. Lauren had n