Chapter 5

Jessica's face was flushed, her eyes bloodshot. She looked terrifying.

I used to be afraid of her anger, but now, seeing her like this, only one word came to mind.

Pathetic.

She had no cards left to play, yet she still thought she could bargain with me.

I sneered. "Because right now, you're legally a ghost. And because you cheated!"

She stared at me, then suddenly laughed. "When did I cheat? I just stayed at a friend's house! You're the one who declared me dead without even trying harder to find me!"

We were sitting in the lobby of the courthouse. She'd showed up this morning with Kevin in tow, demanding I reverse the death declaration so she could file a counter-suit.

The judge had sent us outside to "discuss things civilly."

"Jessica," I said, leaning back in my chair, "the security cameras at our house tell a different story. Would you like me to show the footage to the judge?"

Her jaw clenched. Kevin, standing behind her like a loyal guard dog, stepped forward.

"Jacob, don't push it. Jessica's been through enough. Just undo the paperwork and give her what she deserves."

I looked at Kevin — really looked at him. Expensive watch. New jacket. The love bites on his neck had faded, but the arrogance hadn't.

"What she deserves," I repeated slowly. "And what would that be, Kevin?"

"Half. The house, the savings, the investments. She was your wife for four years."

I pulled out a folder and set it on the table between us. "My lawyer prepared this. A full accounting of our shared assets, debts, and — oh — the costs I incurred during the three-month search and rescue operation."

Jessica snatched the folder and flipped through it. Her face changed color three times in ten seconds.

"This is ridiculous! You're saying I owe you money?"

"Search and rescue teams don't work for free. Neither do the private investigators I hired. The total comes to a little over $180,000."

"I didn't ask you to search for me!"

"No. You asked me to go crazy looking for you. I was just fulfilling your wish."

Kevin grabbed the folder from her. His eyes scanned the numbers, and I watched the color drain from his face too.

"This is extortion," he muttered.

"It's accounting," I corrected. "But I'm willing to make it simple. Jessica signs the divorce papers, waives all claims to the house and assets, and I won't pursue the fraud charges."

"Fraud charges?" Jessica's voice went up an octave.

"Filing a false missing persons report. Wasting government resources. Depending on the jurisdiction, that's a felony. My lawyer can explain it better if you'd like."

The lobby fell silent except for the ticking of the wall clock.

Jessica's hands were shaking. She looked at Kevin, searching for reassurance, for a plan, for anything. He avoided her eyes.

"Kevin," she whispered. "Say something."

He shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe… maybe you should just sign, Jess. We can figure things out later."

The look on her face was something I'd never forget. Pure, undiluted betrayal — the exact same expression I must have worn three months ago when I watched her laughing in that bar.

"You're abandoning me?" she hissed.

"I'm not abandoning you! I'm just saying, be smart about this."

"Be smart? You said you'd handle everything! You said Jacob was a pushover, that he'd never fight back!"

Kevin's face went pale. He glanced at me nervously.

I crossed my arms. "Please, continue. I'm finding this very enlightening."

Jessica seemed to realize what she'd just revealed. She clamped her mouth shut.

The silence stretched.

Finally, she pulled the divorce papers from the folder. Her hand hovered over the signature line.

"If I sign this, I walk away with nothing?"

"You walk away with your freedom and a clean record. Considering the alternative, I'd say that's generous."

A tear rolled down her cheek. Not the dramatic, performative tears from the funeral. A real one.

"I loved you, Jacob. In the beginning, I really did."

"I know," I said. And I meant it. "That's what made the rest of it so much worse."

She signed. A single, shaky signature.

I took the papers, checked them, and stood up. "My lawyer will file these today. You'll have your identity restored within 48 hours."

As I walked towards the exit, her voice stopped me one last time.

"Jacob. Was any of it real? The coffee you'd leave for me in the morning. The lights you'd keep on because you knew I hated coming home to a dark house. Was any of it real?"

I paused at the door without turning around.

"All of it was real. That's the difference between us."

I walked out into the sunlight, and for the first time in months, I could breathe.