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He felt a lump in his chest. It was one thing to no longer communicate, one thing to be in love with another woman, but when that moment came that rips your life apart, it hurts and it’s scary and you’re the president. And this moment had never happened before. It was not a historical first that Bernstein had thought about when he took office. Being the first Jew, or half Jew, whatever they would call him; that was enough. Now he was the first divorced half-Jew president who sold America’s biggest city to China. Wow. How would history judge this? “Betsy, I don’t want you to leave. I don’t know if we can work it out, but maybe you should stay and we should try.”

She laughed out loud. “My darling, I’m not a labor union or a country demanding more aid; there is nothing to work out. You’re in love with someone else and I’m not in love with you. That’s a bad combination. Let’s cut our losses and try to salvage some happiness. Don’t you think?”

“But no First Lady has ever left the job. That might come across as a slight to America.”

Now Betsy got angry. “Fuck America. I didn’t marry America. America didn’t cheat on me and I’m not leaving America. I’m leaving you! You can have your bullshit speech people say it anyway you want. I’ve already had mine write something and if you want to use it, it’s already approved.”

And with that, feeling herself about to lose it, she threw the short speech she had prepared on his desk and left his office for what would be the last time. Bernstein looked down and read her statement.

After twenty-two years of marriage, Matthew and Betsy Bernstein have decided to go their separate ways. They both love and respect each other, but sometimes in life two people, no matter how close they were, drift apart and need to start fresh in a new direction. Betsy Bernstein has loved her time as First Lady and will continue to love and support this wonderful country, a country that she has had the privilege to serve. But now the time has come for her and her husband to each seek a new path in their personal lives. Please respect their privacy in this matter.

The President looked at the last line and ran his hand through his hair. Right, everyone’s going to respect our privacy.

Susanna Colbert was giving a speech at the Wharton School of Business when one of her aides told her the President wanted to speak to her. She was told it was urgent and for a moment she had no idea what to expect. She was, after all, the secretary of the Treasury, and in a normal relationship with the White House, the word “urgent” would mean some kind of financial problem, possibly one that was very serious. But this relationship was anything but normal, so she contacted the President on a secure link. As soon as she saw him she knew what “urgent” meant. He looked terrible. He had either been crying or sweating or doing something that made his face look moist and his hair messed up, and he had circles under his eyes. “What’s wrong with you?” she asked him. “Are you sick?”

“She left.” Susanna didn’t need to ask who. “She’s gone. It’s over. Can you come back here?”

“Of course. I’ll be back tonight.”

“I’m sorry to sound like a wounded child. I haven’t told anyone but you. She gave me a statement and I wanted your opinion.”

“I’ll look at it as soon as I get back. Is that okay?”

“Yes.” And then the President asked her, “How did your speech go?”

Goodness, there was something about him that Susanna really did love. Something allowed him to ask that question at a moment when it was the last thing he cared about. It was probably why he had been elected president. He knew how to make people feel important—everyone, that is, except the woman he married. “It was fine,” she said. “They love you here.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

When she arrived in Chicago, Kathy Bernard was booked and formally accused of aiding and abetting a terrorist activity. She was put into a holding cell. There was no bail allowed, and even if there were, the amount would have been astronomical. Any arrest with the word “terrorist” in the accusation—either of