Chapter 1

I had just put my son to sleep when I received a call from an unknown number.

"Mrs. Carter, this is BabyLux Boutique. Congratulations, you've won our grand prize."

I froze. "What grand prize?"

The voice on the other end quickly apologized.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Carter. Today is April Fools' Day, and we played a little joke on you.

There's no grand prize, but there is a gift."

I thought it was another scam call and was about to hang up.

But then the voice continued.

"You and Mr. Marcus Shaw have spent two million dollars at our store.

We've prepared a gift package worth a hundred thousand dollars.

When would be convenient for you to pick it up?"

I froze. My husband's name is Marcus Shaw.

But my last name isn't Carter.

And we've never been to any baby boutique.

My eyes involuntarily fell on the baby stroller sitting awkwardly in the corner of our rental apartment.

The BabyLux logo on it made my heart skip a beat.

I had found it strange when Marcus brought it home.

BabyLux is a high-end baby boutique where even the cheapest stroller costs thirty thousand dollars.

But Marcus only makes forty-five hundred dollars a month.

I asked him where the stroller came from.

He said it was a perk from his boss for being an outstanding employee.

As he said this, his hand touched his nose.

He didn't know that's what he unconsciously does when he lies.

Marcus was lying to me.

When I tried to press further, the baby woke up, and I forgot about it.

But now, that thread of doubt resurfaced.

"Ma'am? Ma'am, are you still there?"

I snapped back to reality.

After responding, I heard myself ask in an oddly calm voice:

"I remember buying a mint green stroller from your store recently.

A friend saw it and really liked it. Do you still have that model in stock?"

Even as I asked, I found the question absurd.

Marcus and I are just an ordinary family.

How could we possibly know friends who could afford a stroller that cost tens of thousands of dollars?

But once the seed of doubt is planted, it begins to sprout.

I hoped I was just being paranoid.

Unfortunately, I wasn't.

The polite voice on the phone carried a hint of apology:

"The one purchased on January 24th?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Carter. That stroller is a new product.

Mr. Shaw is a VIP, which is why he got early access.

If your friend wants one, they'll have to wait until the official release in May."

My eyes trembled slightly, and my grip on the phone tightened unconsciously.

January 24th was the exact day Marcus brought the stroller home.

He said it was an employee perk.

But the stroller hadn't even been officially released.

He brought home an unreleased stroller, and at the same time, another Marcus Shaw bought the same stroller that day.

Could there really be such a coincidence?

My heart felt like it had been cut, and a chill spread through my entire body.

If what the clerk said was true—

Two million dollars in purchases. Where would Marcus get that kind of money?

He makes forty-five hundred a month and gives me four thousand.

What money could he possibly use to shop at a high-end baby boutique?

Could Marcus be having an affair with a rich woman?

Or was it really just a coincidence?

I couldn't stop my eyes from glancing at the stroller.

I heard my own hoarse voice slowly say, "Thank you. I'll come by tomorrow to pick it up."

After hanging up, I hesitated for a long time before dialing Marcus's number.

No answer.

Suddenly, uncontrollably, I remembered when I was newly pregnant and Marcus and I went to look at cribs.

The high prices at baby stores made me too afraid to even go inside, let alone somewhere high-end like BabyLux.

In the end, to save money, we chose to use the hand-me-down from my cousin's kid.

Back then, Marcus told me he would work hard to earn money so our baby could have the best.

My eyes started to burn as I looked at my son who had just fallen asleep.

Because we'd been weaning him recently, his little face had gotten so much thinner.

Thinking about how my son and I had been finding every way to save money while Marcus might have been spending over two million outside—

My heart clenched painfully.

Just then, Marcus called me back.

I steadied my emotions before answering.

"Marcus, the company suddenly sent me on a business trip. Don't wait up for me tonight."

Business trips like this were routine for Marcus. Every time he got to a hotel, he'd send me a video check-in.

So I'd never suspected anything before.

But today, because of the baby boutique incident, I was unusually sensitive.

After a moment of silence, I said softly, "Okay. Be safe."

I wouldn't ask him anymore.

Tomorrow I'd go find out the truth myself!