Chapter 1

I supported my husband's startup for 10 years, but when his company went public and threw a celebration banquet, he refused to bring me.

Before leaving, he reassured me:

"You stay home and take care of the kids. Once I'm done with all this, I'll take you and the kids on a trip to Greece."

I sat there surrounded by LEGO pieces and picture books scattered across the floor, feeling hollow inside.

My three-year-old daughter suddenly came running over, holding up a black phone:

"Mommy! Daddy forgot his phone!"

I froze. This wasn't his usual phone.

The moment I opened it, a text message popped up:

"Honey, I picked out the perfect gown for the banquet. $30,000. Waiting for you to swipe the card~"

The sender was saved as:

"Baby Vivian."

My breath stopped.

Blood rushed to my eardrums, buzzing loudly.

My fingers moved across the screen without conscious thought.

Either Matthew was too confident, or he trusted me too much.

The phone had no password.

I opened the chat with "Baby Vivian."

The earliest message was from three years ago, August:

"Matthew, I revised the proposal and sent it to your email."

On his birthday, she sent him a photo of herself in lingerie.

On Christmas, he arranged to meet her at a hot spring resort.

Kelly was hugging her Barbie doll and humming, sunlight falling on her soft blonde hair in a gentle golden glow.

My daughter. Three years old.

And my husband's mistress had been by his side for three years.

I kept scrolling up.

The last message from yesterday—

"Honey, I think I'm pregnant."

"Really?! I'll take you to get checked tomorrow. If it's true, I'll come clean with my wife."

My world completely collapsed in that moment.

So he'd been planning the divorce all along?

The door lock turned.

Matthew pushed the door open, his eyes scanning the living room:

"I left a black work phone at home. Have you seen it?"

"Kelly found it." I walked over and pulled out the phone.

"How could you forget something so important?"

He snatched it away, quickly pressed the screen dark, and stuffed it into his suit pocket.

The whole process took less than three seconds.

"Work's been crazy. I was careless."

He cleared his throat.

He paused, then ruffled my hair:

"I might be home very late tonight. Get some rest early."

The door closed.

I leaned against the wall and slowly slid down to the floor.

The spires of the LEGO castle blurred and twisted in my vision.