Chapter 7: The Divorce Papers Under the Phoenix Tree

Brandon did not sleep after discovering that Rhea had contacted a divorce attorney. The next morning, his assistant traced her last known stop to the phoenix tree where they had buried a time capsule ten years earlier.

Rhea understood that ten years of history could explain why leaving hurt, but history could not obligate her to remain. Brandon, meanwhile, discovered that every object from their youth had become evidence of promises he had treated as permanent while behaving as though her trust could never run out.

He rushed there and dug through the disturbed soil with his bare hands. Inside the capsule, he found the sapphire wedding ring, his seventeen-year-old letter, and the divorce agreement Rhea had already signed.

Rhea understood that ten years of history could explain why leaving hurt, but history could not obligate her to remain. Brandon, meanwhile, discovered that every object from their youth had become evidence of promises he had treated as permanent while behaving as though her trust could never run out.

Reading his younger self's promises shattered him. At seventeen, he had written that Rhea's happiness must always come first and begged his future self never to hurt or lie to her.

Rhea understood that ten years of history could explain why leaving hurt, but history could not obligate her to remain. Brandon, meanwhile, discovered that every object from their youth had become evidence of promises he had treated as permanent while behaving as though her trust could never run out.

Brandon then learned that Rhea had been studying Spanish for almost a year. He realized she might have understood far more of his secret conversations than he ever imagined.

Rhea understood that ten years of history could explain why leaving hurt, but history could not obligate her to remain. Brandon, meanwhile, discovered that every object from their youth had become evidence of promises he had treated as permanent while behaving as though her trust could never run out.

His security team also confirmed that Anna had deliberately sent Rhea photographs, videos, receipts, and taunting messages for months. Brandon was furious, but he could no longer pretend Anna alone had destroyed his marriage. She could expose his affairs only because he had chosen to have them.

Rhea understood that ten years of history could explain why leaving hurt, but history could not obligate her to remain. Brandon, meanwhile, discovered that every object from their youth had become evidence of promises he had treated as permanent while behaving as though her trust could never run out.

Far away, Rhea settled temporarily in a quiet house near the sea. Her lawyer told her Brandon had received the divorce papers but had not agreed to let her go. Rhea calmly instructed him to proceed through the legal process.

Rhea understood that ten years of history could explain why leaving hurt, but history could not obligate her to remain. Brandon, meanwhile, discovered that every object from their youth had become evidence of promises he had treated as permanent while behaving as though her trust could never run out.

For the first time in years, Rhea experienced silence without suspicion. She no longer had to wonder where Brandon was or whether his explanations were true.

Rhea understood that ten years of history could explain why leaving hurt, but history could not obligate her to remain. Brandon, meanwhile, discovered that every object from their youth had become evidence of promises he had treated as permanent while behaving as though her trust could never run out.

Brandon returned home carrying the time capsule. He placed the sapphire ring beside their wedding photograph and finally understood that he had received exactly the future his seventeen-year-old self dreamed of—and destroyed it himself.

Rhea understood that ten years of history could explain why leaving hurt, but history could not obligate her to remain. Brandon, meanwhile, discovered that every object from their youth had become evidence of promises he had treated as permanent while behaving as though her trust could never run out.

Rhea understood that ten years of history could explain why leaving hurt, but history could not obligate her to remain. Brandon, meanwhile, discovered that every object from their youth had become evidence of promises he had treated as permanent while behaving as though her trust could never run out.

Rhea understood that ten years of history could explain why leaving hurt, but history could not obligate her to remain. Brandon, meanwhile, discovered that every object from their youth had become evidence of promises he had treated as permanent while behaving as though her trust could never run out.

Rhea understood that ten years of history could explain why leaving hurt, but history could not obligate her to remain. Brandon, meanwhile, discovered that every object from their youth had become evidence of promises he had treated as permanent while behaving as though her trust could never run out.

Rhea understood that ten years of history could explain why leaving hurt, but history could not obligate her to remain. Brandon, meanwhile, discovered that every object from their youth had become evidence of promises he had treated as permanent while behaving as though her trust could never run out.

Rhea understood that ten years of history could explain why leaving hurt, but history could not obligate her to remain. Brandon, meanwhile, discovered that every object from their youth had become evidence of promises he had treated as permanent while behaving as though her trust could never run out.