Blurred Lines

Audrey Nottingham

Description

Kat’s marriage falls apart following the loss of her child and betrayal of her husband, but she will reclaim her perfect life, despite horrific revelations and murder.

Kat Letty had the ideal husband and the perfect life until a tragic, life altering loss shattered her world and her marriage. Unable to overcome the loss of her baby boy, Noah, she sinks into a depression, overcome with grief.

Meanwhile, her husband Ryan has taken a mistress, who suddenly vanishes, leaving him the prime suspect in her disappearance. With her marriage hanging by a thread, Kat decides to take back what rightfully belongs to her: Ryan, her seemingly perfect husband. However, after his betrayal, can she still trust him, and is he capable of murder?

Through many twists and turns, life-altering truths are revealed. Boundaries are blurred. Is this a love story gone right or wrong? It depends on how you look at it.

Sujets

• Thrillers
• Suspense
• Fiction

Informations

• Publié par: Archway Publishing
• Date de parution: 26 avril 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781665740869
• Langue: English

Extrait

BLURRED LINES






AUDREY NOTTINGHAM









Copyright © 2023 Audrey Nottingham.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.



Archway Publishing
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.archwaypublishing.com
844-669-3957

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6657-4084-5 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6657-4085-2 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6657-4086-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023905207



Archway Publishing rev. date: 4/25/2023



CONTENTS
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine



CHAPTER
ONE
Kat spotted him sitting cross-legged at a café they used to frequent for brunch. He was with her . Kat’s nemesis. The woman sleeping with her husband. She was lovely. She was all the things Kat no longer was, including his confidante, the outlet he sought. Kat had lost her control over him. She was no longer his desire, only an obligation. Kat lived in his house, made sure his clothes were taken to and picked up from the dry cleaner’s, and sat at his dinner table. As she watched from across the street, her fists balled up tightly, and her heart beat like a drum against her chest. She felt as if she had been left behind.
Kat and her husband, Ryan, hadn’t been to that café in two years. She remembered their last time there, when she’d announced she was pregnant. He’d been delighted; his smile had been genuine. That day was marked in her mind forever; they had been happy then. It had been a beautiful moment, and she often thought about that day. The sun had gleamed, and the sky had been the perfect shade of blue. After the café, they had visited Central Park and laid a blanket down to watch the world around them persevere. The passersby had seemed preoccupied, though Kat and Ryan had not been. They had been lost in love, in lust, and in the future. They had been passionately enthralled in each other then.

As Kat finished preparing dinner, she heard the front door open. The recollection of Ryan and Sophia having lunch together earlier that day was on her mind as Ryan suddenly emerged in the kitchen.
“How was work?” she asked him as he loosened his tie.
The tie was navy silk. She had given it to him the day before he’d been promoted five years ago. She’d told him it would bring him good luck.
“The same as every other day,” he replied as he made his way out of the kitchen and to their bedroom hurriedly.
He was distant, which was nothing new; he had been distant for months. They rarely diverted from routine conversation these days.
Ryan was a good-looking, smart, ambitious man, a go-getter type—a keeper, her friend Amy had told her after introducing them six years ago. He was tall and blond, with green eyes. He looked as if he had spent every summer on a surfboard in California, chiseled abs and all, and he was now the CFO of one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in New York. She’d won the lottery when she met him; he was going places, and she knew it.
Amy had been dating Tom, who’d had a single friend, Ryan, from the gym. Amy always described Kat as shy and mysterious. She was usually the last one to speak up and rarely called attention to herself. Amy had to ask Kat what was on her mind, as she never naturally volunteered information. Back then, Ryan had seemed intrigued by Kat, as if he’d yearned to know her. He had lingered on every word she spoke, waiting for her next sentence.
Kat had begun her career working for a small-scale newspaper in Manhattan as an editor, way beneath her potential. She seldom did the party scene. Her friends called her lame. She was OK with it. She spent most evenings in with a bottle of chardonnay and a book.
One evening, Amy had refused to take no for an answer. Kat had been bullied, and she’d caved. That night, she’d been pleased she had after spotting Ryan, her unsuspecting blind date. Kat’s first impression had been that he was charming, outgoing, and confident. He had to be, she’d assumed, to climb the ladder of success so quickly. The ladies had ogled at him from across the room, but Ryan never had seemed to notice. His words had been clever, and he’d made direct eye contact, sometimes holding it for so long that Kat finally had to look away. His body language had been relaxed, as if he owned the room. Never once had he looked over his shoulder or appeared insecure.
Eventually, Ryan had begun leaving her rousing love notes and calling her throughout the day just to ask her how her day was going. He even had whisked her away on little getaways here and there after they became serious.
As they sat for dinner, Kat reflected on how things had changed from past to present. Awkward silence now filled the room. Kat had purposely prepared his favorite meal: sukiyaki, a Japanese dish that required effort, and German chocolate cake, his favorite dessert. Kat knew he had just sat with the other woman earlier that day, and it made Kat’s blood boil. One could have cut the tension with a knife. She wanted him to feel something for her. She wanted him to feel guilt more than anything. If he did feel guilty, he hid it well. She saw no signs of remorse or shame.
He ate every bite of his meal and walked to the kitchen.
She followed. “I missed you today.”
He didn’t reply for a moment. He placed his dish in the sink and gulped down his last swallow of wine. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to make it home for lunch today. My meeting ran long,” he finally replied.
The lie poured out of his mouth easily, with no second thought at all. He hadn’t even bothered to call.
“Did you close the deal?” she asked. He had been working to win over a potential client for weeks.
“There are still some details to work out, but it looks promising.”
More work banter followed. Sadly, that was what the relationship had devolved into. She was torn. She felt rage and sadness at the same time. Was she to blame for the downfall of their marriage? Even so, how was he able to look her in the eye and lie without hesitation? This was now normal. She had become obsessed with his days and not her own. She hadn’t worked since she lost the baby. She had lost her baby, her job, and her husband. She followed him most days. She had become infatuated with his every step—and the other woman.

The other woman was Sophia Gantz, an attorney at Hall and Associates, one of the largest law firms in Manhattan. She had made partner about two years ago and moved into a swanky apartment in NoHo. Not only was she successful, but she was also gorgeous, well traveled, and cultured. She and Ryan had plenty in common. On paper, they were a better match. Sophia was tall and thin, with long black hair. Her eyes were so blue that one could almost see through them. Her eyes reminded Kat of the ocean. It was the prettiest color of blue Kat had ever seen—piercing. Her perfect jawline and stunning lips captivated Kat. Kat knew exactly why Ryan was drawn to Sophia. She had never been married and, until Ryan, had never even been involved in a serious relationship that Kat could verify, although according to her social media, she had plenty of gentlemen acquaintances. She’d graduated from Boston University, ranking fourth in her class. She appeared motivated and impressive, according to Kat’s research. She had soared up the ladder of achievement and not with her looks, although Kat was sure they had helped. Kat had the impression that Sophia was spectacular and glamourous, and it intimated Kat. Even on her morning runs, Sophia looked as if she had first dominated the runway. Kat often wondered if that was how she woke up. Could she naturally be this breathtaking?
Kat had begun following Sophia regularly after she discovered Sophia was Ryan’s mistress. Kat had suspected Ryan was being untruthful regarding his whereabouts after several late nights and no offer of any explanations, so she’d decided to tail him. That had been when she discovered his extramarital activities and Sophia. She then had become entwine