**Chapter 45** Avery stood at the crossroads of laughter and tears, caught in a whirlwind of emotions. “Relax… I didn’t have a choice. When our family hit rock bottom financially, my stepmother arranged my engagement for the gifts and money. Now, I’m just waiting for the paperwork to finalize my divorce!” Tammy’s eyes widened in shock. “What on earth was she thinking? Why didn’t you tell me sooner? We should alert the police!” Reaching out, Avery grasped her friend’s hand, hoping to calm the storm brewing within her. “It’s really not as dire as you believe. Our lives are worlds apart, and we’ll be divorced soon enough.” Yet, Tammy’s skepticism lingered, her brow furrowed in concern. “Who is he? Spill it… Your husband… Damn it! This is absolutely crazy!” “It’s utterly insane,” Avery admitted. “But you’ll find out who he is after we’re officially no longer together.” “Absolutely not! You need to come clean right now! I’ll stand by you, I swear!” Avery winced at the thought of Tammy's fiery temper. If she learned Elliot’s identity, it wouldn’t be long before she confronted him, and Avery knew too well how fragile the situation between her and Elliot already was—Tammy’s interference would only exacerbate the tension. “Let’s focus on investigating Jun Hertz for now. I promise, the moment the divorce is final, I’ll reveal everything about my husband,” Avery offered, attempting to divert her friend’s growing impatience. “Ha! Look at you so casually referring to him as ‘my husband.’ I can see you sweet-talking him like ‘Honey’ all the time!” Tammy teased, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Avery felt the heat rise in her cheeks. With a resigned sigh, she replied, “As if he’d acknowledge that. He was thrust into this just like I was.” “Really? Here I thought you were whisked away to marry some sleazy guy against your will—” “Hey! I think you’ve watched too many soap operas! It’s nothing like that!” Tammy shook her head with a sympathetic smile. “It seems like that senior in your department lost his shot. You do know he’s interested in you, right?” Avery’s expression turned cold, her thoughts freezing in their tracks. “Alright, alright! Don’t give me that look… I know you’re not into him. I’ll have a word with him…” Tammy said, attempting to soothe her. She then changed the topic, her voice brightening, “Let’s hit up a recital afterward! There’s one at the Philharmonic Hall today!” Just then, Avery received a text from an unrecognized number, yet the message felt eerily familiar. [The bodyguard will pick you up at 4 p.m.] The text was signed “Elliot Foster.” Could this cryptic number truly belong to Elliot? What was the meaning behind the bodyguard picking her up? “Did you catch what I said, Avery? There’s a recital this afternoon…” Tammy said, reaching out to pinch Avery’s cheek. “What time is the recital?” Avery queried as she tucked her phone away, a flutter of anxiety washing over her. “Four thirty,” Tammy answered eagerly. “It’s your favorite pianist, Ricardo!” Avery rubbed her temples, feeling an ache brewing there. “I really want to go! I truly do! But I have something lined up at four!” “What on earth could be more important? Can’t you just cancel?” “I can’t,” Avery insisted, her tone firm. Tammy rolled her eyes. “I get it! It’s your husband, isn’t it?” Avery’s hands flew to her face, her silence offering an unspoken confirmation. “Why are you so invested in him all of a sudden? Who is he? Is he more crucial than me now? Can’t you abandon him and join me at the recital?” Tammy huffed, her frustration evident. “Of course you matter more, but I’m a little scared of him.” “What could possibly be frightening? Is he going to go all fist-fighting on you if you don’t obey his every command?” Avery took a deep sip of water, contemplating her friend’s fierce loyalty. “You’re such a coward! You don’t even want to tell me who he is! No wonder you’re getting bullied!” Despite her concern for Avery, Tammy couldn’t help but feel a surge of irritation at her friend’s reluctance to disclose the truth. At precisely four o'clock, the bodyguard arrived to escort Avery from the campus. Twenty minutes later, the car rolled to a stop at the Philharmonic Hall's parking lot. A rush of lightheadedness washed over Avery as the bodyguard escorted her into the concert hall. “Elliot wants to take me to a recital?” she mused, utterly bewildered by the unfolding circumstances. As the melodies of the evening promised to weave a tapestry of emotions, she couldn’t shake the peculiar intersection of her life with Elliot, or how this evening would reverberate through the chapters of her story yet to come.