Owen Nelson

In five years of marriage, this was the first time Caleb had ever interrupted my morning in the stables. Behind him stood his mistress, Brooke, and a blond little boy. “An old friend’s orphaned son,” he said, gesturing toward the boy with a practiced, easygoing charm. “Brooke’s a social worker. I thought the boy could grow up here, on the ranch.” I didn’t look at the boy’s face. I didn’t have to. I knew it would be a mirror of his father’s. I just asked, “Three years ago, when you went to Austin for that financing round, did you stay at the Four Seasons? Or was it that villa on Lake Travis, the one with the private dock?” His expression froze. The pretense evaporated. He tossed a document at me. PERMANENT LAND TRANSFER AGREEMENT. “Sign it,” he said. “You sign over the core acreage of King’s Creek to my company. Brooke will move into the guest villa. It’s the cleanest way for everyone.” I laughed. His company was built on my trust fund. His loans were......

In five years of marriage, this was the first time Caleb had ever interrupted my morning in the stables. Behind him stood his mistress, Brooke, and a blond little boy. “An old friend’s orphaned son,” he said, gesturing toward the boy with a practiced, easygoing charm. “Brooke’s a social worker. I thought the boy could grow up here, on the ranch.” I didn’t look at the boy’s face. I didn’t have to. I knew it would be a mirror of his father’s. I just asked, “Three years ago, when you went to Austin for that financing round, did you stay at the Four Seasons? Or was it that villa on Lake Travis, the one with the private dock?” His expression froze. The pretense evaporated. He tossed a document at me. PERMANENT LAND TRANSFER AGREEMENT. “Sign it,” he said. “You sign over the core acreage of King’s Creek to my company. Brooke will move into the guest villa. It’s the cleanest way for everyone.” I laughed. His company was built on my trust fund. His loans were......

In five years of marriage, this was the first time Caleb had ever interrupted my morning in the stables. Behind him stood his mistress, Brooke, and a blond little boy. “An old friend’s orphaned son,” he said, gesturing toward the boy with a practiced, easygoing charm. “Brooke’s a social worker. I thought the boy could grow up here, on the ranch.” I didn’t look at the boy’s face. I didn’t have to. I knew it would be a mirror of his father’s. I just asked, “Three years ago, when you went to Austin for that financing round, did you stay at the Four Seasons? Or was it that villa on Lake Travis, the one with the private dock?” His expression froze. The pretense evaporated. He tossed a document at me. PERMANENT LAND TRANSFER AGREEMENT. “Sign it,” he said. “You sign over the core acreage of King’s Creek to my company. Brooke will move into the guest villa. It’s the cleanest way for everyone.” I laughed. His company was built on my trust fund. His loans were......

A strange bottle of potion came into my possession. Whoever drank it would fall in love with the person who gave it to them. I didn’t hesitate. I drank it myself. This time, I chose myself. I chose to love myself. See you tomorrow, Ophelia. ... In my last life. After Reed Pierce cheated on me, a bottle of potion somehow fell into my hands. It was a small, clear bottle filled with a shimmering blue liquid. A nearly illegible label clung to the glass: “Whoever drinks this water will fall in love with the person who gives it to them.” Back then, I saw it as my last chance. I pinned every last scrap of hope on it. The next morning, I poured the potion into Reed’s coffee. It worked quickly. He slowly pulled away from that woman and turned his attention back to me. He started remembering our anniversaries. He brought home flowers. At night, when he held me, he’d whisper the sweet things he hadn’t said in years. It was as if we......

A strange bottle of potion came into my possession. Whoever drank it would fall in love with the person who gave it to them. I didn’t hesitate. I drank it myself. This time, I chose myself. I chose to love myself. See you tomorrow, Ophelia. ... In my last life. After Reed Pierce cheated on me, a bottle of potion somehow fell into my hands. It was a small, clear bottle filled with a shimmering blue liquid. A nearly illegible label clung to the glass: “Whoever drinks this water will fall in love with the person who gives it to them.” Back then, I saw it as my last chance. I pinned every last scrap of hope on it. The next morning, I poured the potion into Reed’s coffee. It worked quickly. He slowly pulled away from that woman and turned his attention back to me. He started remembering our anniversaries. He brought home flowers. At night, when he held me, he’d whisper the sweet things he hadn’t said in years. It was as if we......

A strange bottle of potion came into my possession. Whoever drank it would fall in love with the person who gave it to them. I didn’t hesitate. I drank it myself. This time, I chose myself. I chose to love myself. See you tomorrow, Ophelia. ... In my last life. After Reed Pierce cheated on me, a bottle of potion somehow fell into my hands. It was a small, clear bottle filled with a shimmering blue liquid. A nearly illegible label clung to the glass: “Whoever drinks this water will fall in love with the person who gives it to them.” Back then, I saw it as my last chance. I pinned every last scrap of hope on it. The next morning, I poured the potion into Reed’s coffee. It worked quickly. He slowly pulled away from that woman and turned his attention back to me. He started remembering our anniversaries. He brought home flowers. At night, when he held me, he’d whisper the sweet things he hadn’t said in years. It was as if we......

I let the supply contract with Whole Foods expire. I also “forgot” to prepare the ranch’s financial statements for the next quarter. The water rights renewal, the document that was the very lifeblood of our ranch, I buried under a pile of junk mail. I’m Ava, Caleb Walker’s wife. I’m the woman who used her own money and ten years of her life to turn a failing family ranch into a modern business empire. And now, I was going to destroy it with my own hands. At last week’s barbecue, Caleb put his family’s century-old cowboy hat—the symbol of his legacy—on his illegitimate son’s head in front of everyone. His mistress, Briar, stood beside him, proudly announcing to the crowd that the ranch hands all took their orders from her now. In that moment, something inside me died. I didn’t make a scene. I just calmly finished my beer. But Caleb didn’t know that from that moment on, his reign as the “cowboy king” was on borrowed time. He finally came to me when the......

I let the supply contract with Whole Foods expire. I also “forgot” to prepare the ranch’s financial statements for the next quarter. The water rights renewal, the document that was the very lifeblood of our ranch, I buried under a pile of junk mail. I’m Ava, Caleb Walker’s wife. I’m the woman who used her own money and ten years of her life to turn a failing family ranch into a modern business empire. And now, I was going to destroy it with my own hands. At last week’s barbecue, Caleb put his family’s century-old cowboy hat—the symbol of his legacy—on his illegitimate son’s head in front of everyone. His mistress, Briar, stood beside him, proudly announcing to the crowd that the ranch hands all took their orders from her now. In that moment, something inside me died. I didn’t make a scene. I just calmly finished my beer. But Caleb didn’t know that from that moment on, his reign as the “cowboy king” was on borrowed time. He finally came to me when the......