Our honeymoon road trip started with my husband, Liam, driving to a crematorium to pick up his apprentice. Her name was Christine, and she was holding an urn. “I’m sorry to intrude, Nora,” Christine said, climbing into the back seat. “But Liam said you were heading south, and it’s on the way to my hometown. I need to take my father’s ashes home.” I stared at Liam, my voice shaking with rage. “So, our honeymoon is going to be the three of us… plus an urn?” Liam’s face was a mask of sincerity. “It’s on the way. We’ll drop her off at the cemetery, and then our honeymoon can officially start. It’ll only be a few hours’ delay.” I got out of the car and made a call. “Mr. Wright? Prepare the divorce papers. Immediately.” 1 I’d been to the South Coast plenty of times, but Liam hadn't. I tried to console myself with the thought that as long as it was just the two of us, anywhere could be a honeymoon. But Liam didn't get on the freeway. We were heading in the wrong direction. That’s when I noticed the GPS. The destination was starkly displayed: “Hillside Crematorium.” Liam had insisted on planning the entire honeymoon himself. “You don’t have to worry about a thing,” he’d promised. “Just enjoy the surprise I have planned for you.” He even shot down my suggestion of planning it together, saying the mystery was part of the romance. I guess this was his “surprise.” I stayed silent, staring out the window, steeling myself. Soon, Liam’s phone rang. His voice was gentle. “We’re almost there. Just wait for us at the gate.” Every fantasy I had about our honeymoon shattered the moment the car stopped. Our honeymoon chariot was parked before the solemn gates of a crematorium. My blood ran cold. “Liam,” I said, my voice hoarse, “what are we doing here?” There, not far away, stood Christine, dressed in black, clutching a wooden box wrapped in red cloth. Liam waved her over. She got in, placing the box on the back seat. When she saw me, she managed a weak smile. “Nora, I wanted to take my father’s ashes back to our family plot. Coach Liam said you were heading that way and that it wouldn’t be too much trouble.” My suitcase in the trunk was filled with new swimsuits and elegant dresses, each one a symbol of my anticipation for our time alone. Now, it all felt like a cruel joke. The most ridiculous part? The new, sultry lingerie I’d bought was in a bag on the back seat, currently crushed under her father’s urn. Who goes on a honeymoon with a third person and an urn? A hot rage surged in my chest. “This is our honeymoon, Christine,” I snapped. “You’re not just ‘trouble,’ you’re deliberately ruining this for me!” “And you, Liam!” I turned on him. “On the first day of our honeymoon, you expect me to travel with an urn? Doesn’t that creep you out?” Liam’s brow furrowed in annoyance. “She’s just catching a ride. She’ll be gone once we get there. Can you stop being so cold? Have a little compassion.” 2 “We’re teammates in the cycling club. Shouldn’t we help each other out? We’re taking her home, and it’s not even out of our way. It’s a win-win,” he argued. “Besides, if I get bored on the long drive, Christine can keep me company.” “And Christine’s a young woman, all alone, carrying her father’s ashes. She can’t get a cab out here. If I don’t help her, who will? You’re usually so understanding. What’s wrong with you today?” My eyes burned with unshed tears. I grabbed at my hair in frustration. “Who gave you the right to change our plans without asking me? Who do you think you are?” Christine leaned forward, trying to soothe me. “Nora, please don’t be angry. This is a big day for my father. Please, let the old man rest in peace.” I shoved her hand away. “Don’t touch me.” Christine flinched back, hitting her head on the roof of the car. Liam immediately jumped out and opened her door to check on her. “This is our first honeymoon, and you want me to spend it with someone else? Do you even want to be married to me?” Before Liam could answer, Christine stopped him. “Coach, it’s my fault. I was so caught up in my own grief that I didn’t consider Nora’s feelings. The honeymoon is more important. I’ll figure something out on my own.” Her tears started to fall. “I have no one here. My dad was my only family. I’m sorry, I just wanted to lay him to rest.” “I can ride my bike. I can even walk home if I have to.” She made a show of getting out of the car, looking at me with a mournful expression. “I’m sorry, Nora. You two should get going.” Liam immediately got into the back seat, blocking her way. “You’re not going anywhere. I told you I’d take you. Have you forgotten? I promised I’d always be your pacemaker.” The word “pacemaker” hit me like a ton of bricks. I’d seen it somewhere… Christine’s social media. A picture of a cyclist’s back. The caption read: “You are my pacemaker for life, shielding me from the wind and rain. I am your devoted follower, forever wrapped around you.” So that’s how it was. Christine and Liam met in the cycling club. He always said she was delicate but tough, with incredible perseverance. He put her in charge of organizing many of the club’s events. I’d even heard other members joke that they were the “official couple,” but this was Liam. The man I’d been with since college, who loved me more than life itself. I trusted him more than I trusted myself. But the evidence of his betrayal was right in front of me. Christine was more than just a teammate, and Liam was no longer just the college athlete I fell in love with. A sharp pain lanced through my heart. This was supposed to be the start of our new life together, and it had turned into this. Liam turned back to face me. “Are you going to keep making a scene? Do you have any idea how far we are from the nearest station? How is she supposed to get anywhere, alone, with an urn?” “You know she can’t get a cab here. Are you really going to pick a fight over something so small when she needs help the most?” He got back into the driver’s seat. I caught a whiff of sweat and something else, something acrid. It was the smell of a serious cyclist, the kind who rides without underwear. A wave of nausea washed over me. It was the scent Christine had left on him when she leaned against him. I turned away in disgust. He turned to Christine. “Sit tight. I said I’d get you there today, and I will.” 3 Blinded by fury, I got out of the car. I yanked open the back door. “Christine, this is my honeymoon. Please get out. I do not consent to you being in this car.” “I can call a car from my company to take you anywhere you need to go.” “Liam, get her out of the car right now, or this trip is over.” He stared at me from the driver’s seat, his patience worn thin. “Just get in the car. I’ll drop you off at the first resort on our itinerary. You can start enjoying yourself. As soon as I get Christine to the cemetery and her father is buried, I’ll come right back.” Christine looked at me, tears streaming down her face. She defiantly wiped them away. “Fine. I won’t ruin your trip. I hope you have a wonderful honeymoon.” Then she looked at Liam, her eyes wet. “You should go. I told you we weren’t heading in the same direction. Why make Nora upset? Just let me figure it out myself.” She lowered her head, clutching the wooden box. “Dad, I’m taking you home.” All talk, no action. She hadn't moved an inch. Liam, however, exploded. He leaped out of the car, stormed over to me, shoved me aside, and slammed the back door shut. I tried to open it again. He pushed me to the ground. “Enough! How long are you going to drag this out? It’s just a short ride! We’re married now, what are you so afraid of?” “You’re my wife now. You have everything. Why are you making things so hard for Christine? She just wants to honor her father. Are you really going to abandon her here?” “If I had known you’d become this cold and heartless, I never would have proposed.” His every word was an icicle stabbing into my heart. Liam and I met in college. He was an athlete, full of life and energy, but his family was modest, and he was held back by finances. I was the one who bought him his expensive equipment. I scrimped and saved, using the money my parents gave me to buy him three different high-end bicycles, costing a small fortune. After graduation, to support his dream, I begged my father to use his connections to secure the first and most crucial sponsorship for his fledgling cycling club. Finally, his career took off. He went from a small club founder to a nationally recognized event planner. And finally, he gave me a grand, public proposal. I invited all our friends and family to witness our happiness. I thought our future would be as straight and bright as a well-planned race route. But now, watching him defend another woman, watching our honeymoon turn into a funeral procession, I finally understood. Everything had gone off track long ago. I was just the last to know. Liam looked down at me coldly. “I’m giving you two options. One, get in the car, and we stick to the plan. Two, if you insist on making a scene, you can stay here. After all, you’re the one who doesn’t want to be with us, right?” In the reflection of the rearview mirror, I saw a flash of triumph in Christine’s eyes. “Nora, don’t be angry,” Christine said from the car. “Let me talk to him.” Then she turned to Liam. “Coach, don’t be like that. Nora just doesn’t understand the team spirit of us cyclists. You can’t blame her. She’s always been so supportive of the club. You can’t yell at her just because she’s throwing a little tantrum.” Liam snorted. “I’ve spoiled her. That’s why she’s so entitled.” “Get out! Both of you, just get out!” Hearing Christine’s fake peacemaking, her subtle instigation, I lost it. Liam got back in the car. I stared at him in disbelief. He said, word by word, “Fine. If you choose not to get in, you can figure it out yourself.” He rolled up the window, started the engine, and the car sped away without a moment’s hesitation, leaving me alone in front of the crematorium. The honeymoon itinerary slipped from my hand, falling to the ground where it was run over by his tires, left stained and ruined. I stood there, motionless, as my phone buzzed. It was a text from Liam. Since you’re being so immature, I guess you weren’t that excited about this trip after all. Calm down and look at the itinerary. Meet me at the next resort. I’ll come find you after I drop Christine off. I expect my wife to be reasonable and considerate, not selfish and narrow-minded like you. 4 My heart went cold. I let the tears dry on my face, then wiped away the tracks they left. I stood up straight and made a call. “Mr. Wright? Prepare the divorce papers. Yes, immediately.” “And file to freeze all joint assets between myself and Liam.” I hung up and dialed another number. A calm voice answered. “Happy honeymoon, Nora.” I stared at the horizon. “Sheldon, I need a pilot. Now.” “Bring your private helicopter and pick me up. I want to go somewhere I can actually have a honeymoon.” “Send me your location,” he said. “I’ll be there in thirty.” With my arrangements made, I waited. Sheldon Vance. The son of my father’s business partner, and Liam’s biggest rival in the industry. My parents had always preferred him, but for Liam’s sake, I had shut down every possibility. They had warned me that Liam’s ego was fragile. He enjoyed the path I paved for him but resented the powerful family behind me. That was why he always insisted I stay out of his “professional domain” and be the supportive woman behind the man. I never listened, convinced he was just trying to protect me from stress. Now I understood. He was afraid my light would outshine his. Afraid people would know his success was built on my family’s support. Less than thirty minutes later, a thunderous roar grew closer. A helicopter hovered steadily over a nearby clearing. Sheldon leaned out of the cockpit and extended a hand. “Nora, your new journey starts now.” I took a deep breath and his hand. “First stop, the Maldives.” Meanwhile, Liam and Christine were on the road to her hometown. Christine rested her head on his shoulder. “Coach, will she ever understand us?” Liam stroked her hair. “It doesn’t matter. As long as I understand you, that’s enough.” Christine’s eyes were red. “But you’re married now. I know I have no right to say anything. Just being able to see you is enough. But it still hurts. I admit I’m jealous. I don’t want to see you with her.” “Am I being selfish? I don’t want to come between you. I know you have a responsibility to Nora. But I can’t control my heart. I just want to ride with you until the very end.” Seeing her tear-streaked face, Liam pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead. “Silly girl, don’t overthink it. Besides marriage, everything I can give you, I will.” “But I am married. I can’t betray Nora. I’ll take care of you, but we have to keep our distance.” Christine buried her face in his chest, sobbing harder, but a flicker of triumph crossed her face. Liam’s phone vibrated violently. First, a text from the bank: all joint accounts had been frozen. Then, an email popped up. The subject line: “Divorce Agreement, sent on behalf of Ms. Nora Vance.” His heart sank. His financial manager called immediately, his voice frantic. “Liam, are you insane? You left Nora on the side of the road?” “Do you have any idea what she’s done? Check the news! Sheldon Vance sent his helicopter for her!” “Are you kidding me? Her family’s lawyers have already contacted me. She’s divorcing you and wants me to liquidate the company’s assets.”
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