Chapter 1 Rachel This morning, I kissed my husband goodbye, aware that he’d be searching frantically for my body by noon. Jake wouldn’t, of course, appreciate the hard work behind today’s events. He’d never know that every hour of the next forty-eight had been coordinated and orchestrated to perfection. Three weeks, that’s how long these wheels have been in motion, ever since I walked into the local bookstore, an iced toffee latte in hand, and settled in front of the Relationships section, bent on finding a solution for my lonely excuse for a marriage. 8 Steps to Fix Your Problematic Marriage was on the second shelf, and it was later, wrapped in a cashmere-blend blanket and curled up in the big leather chair in my reading room, that I discovered the major issues in our relationship. According to Step 2, it wasn’t that Jake didn’t love me; it’s that he hadn’t been fulfilled in his Core Desires, one of which is To Be Needed. Given my trust fund, I’d stripped him of any role as a financial provider. He had quit his job when we married, a transition that, as Chapter 19 explained, likely caused an uncomfortable shift of roles to one where he felt unneeded. I understood that—Had understood that risk from the very beginning, which is why I’d been fully supportive in pushing for Jake to open his own garage. I’d financed everything, from the building to the car lift to the thousands upon thousands of dollars of tools and equipment that it apparently took to change flat tires and replace brake pads. And look what had happened. He hadn’t listened to one piece of my advice, and the business had failed in an expensive and disastrous fashion, which, according to Chapter 21, likely contributed to our lack of intimacy, which had begun around the same time that we put the garage property on the market, then sold it at a steep loss. 5 Past failures aside, there was a very helpful worksheet in the back of the book, and after completing the relationship quizzes and an audit of our Relationship Dynamic, it was clear what I needed. First, an Incident to Catch His Attention, followed by a Fulfillment of a Need. The Incident was going to be my disappearance. Around eleven, Jake would discover that I was gone and would make the much-needed transition from bored, unfulfilled, and uninterested husband into concerned and on-high-alert spouse. The Need would be clear. I would be gone, likely met with foul play, and in need of his help. The Fulfillment of a Need would be Jake’s rescue of me, and I’d make it easy—but not too easy—for him. All he’d have to do is follow the breadcrumbs I’d laid out for him. I’d be waiting, breathless and scared, and Jake would be able to save the day. Not only the day. Save my life. It would right our lopsided balance and give him the validation he needed. Once we were back in Honeymoon Phase happiness (Step 5 of 8), then I’d implement a more permanent setup for success, one where I’d pretend to make my own bad business decision, one that would put us in a faux precarious financial situation, and “require” him to go back to work. According to the quiz results, Jake’s job as a mechanic had given him a purpose, confidence, and camaraderie, the absences of which he is subconsciously blaming on me. And if he got his original job back—one where he wasn’t the boss and didn’t have $1 million of investment hanging on his decisions—he would be better set up for success, and therefore happiness. Our marriage could use a little happiness. And this plan could inject it in, and all in less than forty-eight hours. The setup was complete, and now I waited, hidden from sight, for him to find my crime scene. ...
We hope you are enjoying the book so far. To continue reading...
Copyright © 2026 All Rights Reserved
Please log in to recommend or discuss...
