Grace had spent months wondering when exactly her marriage had changed.
Now she understood something simpler.
It had not changed in one dramatic moment.
It had changed in thousands of tiny permissions.
The first time she let him take credit for her work because the investors liked him.
The first time she stayed quiet when he introduced her as “my wife” instead of the person who designed their earliest financial model.
The first time she accepted a canceled anniversary because a client mattered.
The first time she told herself success had pressure.
The first time she believed his cruelty was stress.
The first time she made herself smaller to make his ambition easier to carry.
And Ethan had mistaken every act of love for proof that he deserved another one.
Grace rested both hands on the table.
“The Harbor Crown transaction required one more thing.”
Ethan’s expression tightened.
She saw that too.
