A Thing of Beauty

A Thing of Beauty Happily Never After, Volume 1 Gale Quinn Published by Gale Quinn, 2023. This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental. A THING OF BEAUTY First edition. June 14, 2023. Copyright © 2023 Gale Quinn. Written by Gale Quinn. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Table of Contents Title Page Copyright Page Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Epilogue Dear Readers, Prologue Three years ago Fog rolled over the tiny island, blanketing it almost completely. It was a cold autumn evening, and Emily shivered as she walked towards the tiny cabin at the edge of the woods. She felt uncharacteristically nervous as she stepped over the broken twigs and looked around once more. No one knew she was here. She smoothed her hand over her dress and pulled the cardigan tighter around her body. This was right. She knew it in her bones. Even though the world would argue that what she was doing was wrong, she knew deep inside that she was right. She was tired of the pretense. For too long, she had lived this half life, and now, especially with this new development, she couldn’t continue like everything was perfect. This was momentous. She was stepping out of her comfort zone and finally doing what she needed to do for herself. She clasped her hands together, her right hand going automatically to her left, where she always played with her ring. Today, she removed it and kept it on the coffee table in the living room. She contemplated leaving a note, but she didn’t know what to say. What could she possibly tell Brian? She was just glad he wasn’t at home when she left, and he wouldn’t be for a long, long time. She hadn’t taken anything with her, because that would arouse suspicion. Old busybody Mrs. Norris would have noticed it, and she would have stopped her, asking her questions that she had no intention of answering. So she left empty-handed, save for her purse, which she slung crosswise over her body. It had all that she needed anyway. Her hand rested briefly on her belly, and she shut her eyes. This was real. This was happening. Yes, it wasn’t happening the way it was meant to, but that was okay. She knew Brian would be hurt, but eventually he would understand. Once he got over the initial shock and anger, he would realize that she had done them both a favor. She was near the cabin now. The island was mostly dark, as there was no electricity here. Solar-powered lights did bring some illumination to the cabin. Her heart thumped loudly as she walked towards it. This was the first time they were meeting here. She liked how private the island was, how quiet it was, and that there were zero chances of nosy neighbors. But along with the excitement, there was a tiny thread of disquiet that refused to be quelled, no matter what she told herself. Swallowing hard, she neared the cabin. He was inside, waiting for her. The message he left on her phone had been succinct, and it had left her with a heady feeling of joy mixed with nervousness and anxiety. She wouldn’t rest easy until she had left this life behind and started the new one he promised her. There was a slight pang when she thought of what she was leaving behind. Her life in Numako Springs as Brian Miller’s wife had been a decent one. It had been a good life. But she had hungered for more. She had always wanted the extra things that seemed out of her grasp. Brian was a good man, but he was so single-minded about everything that she often wondered if he even saw her as a person in her own right. Things shouldn’t have become like this in four years of marriage. The charming, passionate, and sometimes droll man had turned into a workaholic ever since he opened The White Rose on Numako’s Main Street. The restaurant had been his dream since he was a little boy. But dreams came with a price, and Brian hadn’t even realized that Emily was the one, paying it. She gritted her teeth and looked around once more, looking for some sign from the universe that what she was doing was not wrong. It was wrong on an elemental level, but it was right for her and that was what mattered right now. Fireflies glinted in the trees that were spread out over Mulberry Island, the tiny offshoot island of the larger island of Numako Springs. The fireflies gave her hope as they winked prettily in the distance. Emily Abraham was done living life on other people’s terms. She was in charge of her destiny now, even if it was entwined with the man inside the cabin. She took a deep breath and lifted her hand to knock on the door. He opened the door almost immediately, as if he’d been standing just behind it. She took him in, and her face split into a smile. ‘Emily, my love,’ he said in a low, gravelly voice. Her belly quivered, and she was the same bundle of nerves she’d been when she met him the first time. ‘Hi,’ she said softly as she stepped inside the cabin. It was cold inside, and she was surprised he hadn’t lit a fire. He pulled her close,