Updated Feb 23, 2026 • ~6 min read
POV: Rory
I meet Dominic at his architecture firm at noon.
His office is on the fifteenth floor with views of the city.
When I walk in, his assistant—a woman I’ve never met—gives me a suspicious look.
“Aurora Bennett for Dominic Ashford,” I say.
“He’s expecting you.”
She leads me to his office.
Dominic’s on the phone. Sees me. Waves me in.
“I’ll call you back,” he says into the phone. Hangs up.
We stare at each other.
“You wanted to talk,” he says.
“I did. Do. I need to tell you something.”
“Okay.”
“My ex-boyfriend showed up yesterday. Offered to be there for me if we don’t work out.”
Dominic’s face darkens.
“Your ex?”
“Theo. From college.”
“And what did you say?”
“I said no. Obviously. But it made me realize something.”
“What?”
“I have options. I don’t have to wait for you to decide. I could walk away. Start over. Find someone who doesn’t come with impossible baggage.”
“Is that what you want?”
“No. I want YOU. But I want you to want me the same way. Without guilt. Without hesitation. Just… me.”
“I do want you.”
“Then prove it. Choose me. Tell Celeste you want a divorce. File the papers. Fight for us in court. Show me I matter more than your guilt.”
Dominic stands. Walks to the window.
“I saw her this morning,” he says quietly.
“Celeste?”
“Yeah. She asked me to take her to physical therapy. She can’t drive yet. Needs help getting around.”
“Okay?”
“And while we were there, she started crying. Said she feels like a burden. That she lost everything and now she’s losing me too.”
My chest tightens.
“She’s manipulating you.”
“She’s HURTING. There’s a difference.”
“Is there? Because every time you’re close to choosing me, she has a crisis. Cries. Needs you. Pulls you back.”
“She’s not TRYING to manipulate—”
“Isn’t she? Come on, Dom. She’s smart. She knows guilt works on you.”
“You think she’s faking her pain?”
“No. I think her pain is real. But I also think she’s using it to keep you close.”
“That’s cruel—”
“No, what’s cruel is making me compete with her trauma. I can’t win against a coma. I can’t out-victim her. So she gets to play the sad card and I get to be the villain who wants her husband back.”
Dominic turns to face me.
“You’re not the villain.”
“Then why do I feel like one?”
“Because this situation is impossible. But that’s not your fault. Or hers. Or mine.”
“Then whose fault is it?”
“No one’s. That’s what makes it so hard.”
I stand up.
“I’m giving you until the court date. Three weeks. If you can’t choose me by then, I’m walking away. For real. No more waiting.”
“Rory—”
“Three weeks, Dominic. That’s it.”
When I leave his office, my phone rings.
Unknown number.
I answer.
“Hello?”
“Rory?” A woman’s voice. Familiar.
“This is she.”
“It’s Nina. Celeste’s friend.”
Oh great.
“What do you want?”
“To talk. Woman to woman. Can you meet me?”
“Why?”
“Because I think we need to clear the air. Twenty minutes. The café on fifth street.”
Against my better judgment, I agree.
Nina is already there when I arrive.
She’s exactly what I expected. Polished. Beautiful. Loyal to Celeste.
“Thanks for coming,” she says.
“What do you want?”
“Straight to the point. I like that.”
“I don’t have time for games.”
“Neither do I. So let me be direct: leave Dominic.”
“You’re the third person to say that this week.”
“Then maybe you should listen.”
“Or maybe you should mind your own business.”
“Celeste IS my business. She’s my best friend. And you’re destroying her.”
“I’m not destroying anyone—”
“You ARE. Every day you stay in Dominic’s life, you remind her of what she lost. You’re a walking symbol of her stolen years.”
“That’s not my fault.”
“No. But it’s your choice to stay. You could leave. Make this easier for everyone.”
“Easier for Celeste, you mean.”
“Easier for all of you. Dom is torn between guilt and whatever he feels for you. That’s not healthy. Celeste is having panic attacks because her husband loves someone else. And you’re fighting a losing battle.”
“How do you know it’s losing?”
Nina smiles. Sad and knowing.
“Because I’ve known Dominic for ten years. He was head-over-heels for Celeste. Worshipped her. When she had the accident, he was devastated. I watched him grieve.”
“For two years. Then he moved on.”
“Did he? Or did he just find a distraction?”
The words hit like a slap.
“I’m not a distraction.”
“Are you sure? Because from where I’m sitting, you’re the rebound that got too serious. He met you while grieving. That’s not a foundation for real love.”
“You don’t know what we have—”
“I know he can’t choose you over her. That says everything.”
I stand up.
“I’m done with this conversation.”
“Wait. Please.” Nina’s expression softens. “Look, I don’t hate you. I don’t even blame you. You didn’t know about Celeste. But now you DO know. And staying makes you complicit in hurting her.”
“What about hurting me?”
“You have your whole life ahead of you. Celeste lost five years. Don’t you think she deserves a chance to get some of that back? Starting with her husband?”
“He’s MY husband too.”
“Only on paper. And that paper doesn’t even count.”
I leave without another word.
That night, I can’t sleep.
Everyone wants me to leave.
Dominic’s mom. Nina. Even Theo, in his own way.
Am I being selfish by staying?
Or brave by fighting?
I don’t know anymore.
My phone buzzes.
Text from Dominic: “Celeste asked me something tonight.”
Me: “What?”
Dominic: “If we can try couples therapy. Just her and me. To see if we can fix our marriage.”
Me: “And what did you say?”
Dominic: “I said I’d think about it.”
I stare at the message.
He’s considering couples therapy. With her.
While I wait in limbo.
Me: “Are you serious?”
Dominic: “I don’t know what else to do. She’s falling apart. I’m falling apart. Maybe therapy could help us figure out what we want.”
Me: “You mean what YOU want. Between her and me.”
Dominic: “Yes.”
At least he’s honest.
Me: “Do what you need to do. But know this: if you go to couples therapy with her, I’m done waiting.”
Dominic: “That’s not fair—”
Me: “Nothing about this is fair. But I’m not waiting while you try to make your first marriage work.”
He doesn’t respond.
And I realize:
Celeste is winning.
Not because she’s better than me.
Because guilt is a more powerful motivator than love.
And Dominic will always choose the person he hurt over the person who makes him happy.
END OF CHAPTER 13
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