Chapter 10: A New Ad, A New Sun

I left the hospital that night, went home, and dug out my old phone—the one I’d used before shutting everyone out. For over a year, I’d ignored every call, every text, every reminder that I’d once had a life. I’d even changed numbers, so only Marcus could reach me.

Maybe the old me thought Marcus was my last lifeline. But I didn’t need him anymore.

I logged into my old phone, blocked Marcus everywhere, erased him from my contacts. Then I found my lawyer friend—Melanie, who’d once bailed me out of a crazy contract—and asked her to draft a divorce agreement. She texted back in minutes: "Damn, Rachel, we all thought you’d never let go. You vanished on us."

I sent the signed agreement to Marcus, printed out a copy, and left it on the kitchen table—front and center, impossible to miss.

Then I picked up my old phone, took a deep breath, and posted to my Twitter with five million followers:

"Urgently seeking a new husband: must be handsome, sweet-talking, self-disciplined, and score full marks in husband material. $15,000 allowance per month, full benefits, first come, first served."

I grinned at the screen, sunlight streaming in through the window, warming the hardwood floor beneath my feet. For the first time in years, I felt like I was stepping out into the world instead of hiding from it. This time, the world could chase me.