Chapter 1

Right before New Year’s Eve, my bakery got an order with a special note: a custom cake for a customer’s one-year anniversary with his girlfriend.

"She’s super busy with work, but she’s still taking time off to spend the holidays with me. This cake is just for her!"

Looking at the photo the customer sent, my stomach dropped.

Isn't that my wife of seven years?

How could she be this kid’s girlfriend?

Maybe they just looked alike.

But the moment I handed him the cake box, his phone rang. My wife’s voice came through loud and clear.

"Babe, I'm getting off work soon. If you're not there when I walk out, our date tonight is officially canceled!"

It was the last order before the New Year’s Eve rush.

"Just paint her portrait on the cake based on the photo. Make it look as real as possible."

"She’s got a bit of a temper. If it doesn't look like her, she’ll be pissed, and I'll have to spend hours making it up to her."

The guy in front of me kept rambling on and on, but I just stared blankly at the photo on his screen.

There was no mistaking it. The girl in the picture looked identical to Rachel, my wife of seven years.

I zoomed in and checked every detail, praying my eyes were playing tricks on me.

But the tiny mole right under her chin confirmed it. That was Rachel.

Before I could even process it, the kid sent over a whole batch of photos.

"Is one picture enough for reference? Let me send you a few more."

He seemed desperate to show off, eager to prove to a stranger just how sweet their love was.

"Can you finish the cake today? I booked a boutique couples' suite tonight. We should make it in time, right?"

"She knows I'm still in college and broke, so she even gave me three grand so I wouldn't worry about cash!"

My screen was flooded with their selfies. In every single one, they were wrapped around each other, grinning from ear to ear.

I looked at the kid standing across the counter. He looked twenty-one, fresh-faced, definitely a college student.

"Is she really your girlfriend? You sure you didn't send the wrong photos?"

The guy glared at me, annoyed.

"Hey, just because my girlfriend is hot doesn't mean you can question it."

"She's a corporate lawyer. Super smart. She treats me like a king. She even skipped going home to her family this holiday just to spend it with me!"

Hearing that, a tiny wave of relief washed over me.

Rachel had already promised me that I would pick her up from her law firm this afternoon so we could drive over to my parents' house together for the holidays.

Maybe they just looked alike. Maybe it was a crazy coincidence that they were both lawyers.

It was a big world, after all.

I forced myself to stop doubting Rachel. I swallowed the lump in my throat and quickly finished decorating the cake.

Yet, just as I handed the box over, his phone buzzed on speaker. Rachel’s voice rang out.

"Babe, I'm getting off work soon. If you're not there when I walk out, our date tonight is officially canceled!"

"I'm on my way! I got a little surprise for you too," he beamed.

I froze on the spot.

I had listened to that voice for over a decade. There was zero chance I had misheard.

I reached out to grab him, but he was already out the door, clutching the cake box.

My hands shook as I wiped off the counter and grabbed my phone. My mind was completely numb.

Just as I was about to dial Rachel, my screen lit up. Her name flashed across it.

I hesitated for a second before answering.

The exact same voice came through the speaker, but the words were the complete opposite.

"Hey Ethan, a last-minute emergency case just landed on my desk. It’s a mess. I don't think I can make the drive to your parents' place for the holidays."

I stared at the wall. How could life be this convenient?

The customer’s girlfriend was staying behind for New Year's, and Rachel suddenly had an emergency that kept her in town.

The ugly truth was staring me in the face. How much longer was I supposed to lie to myself?

Rachel paused when I didn't reply, her voice turning cautious.

"Ethan? Are you listening?"

I forced my stiff face into a dry smile.

"Why the sudden change of plans?"

She sighed, putting on her usual exhausted work tone.

"You think I want to work overtime? But the firm has so much going on, and I'm up for partner this quarter."

"Babe, you understand, right?"

She said it so naturally that she left me no room to push back.

Right then, part of me wanted to scream and confront her right over the phone.

Yet seeing how casually she pulled off the lie, a wave of cold exhaustion swept over me.

I gripped the phone tightly and took a slow breath.

"Spending New Year's alone in our apartment sounds pretty lonely. You want to book a hotel room downtown to treat yourself?"

The line went completely dead for a moment. Then Rachel’s voice came back, pitched noticeably higher.

"A hotel? Why would I go to a hotel? If I go out at all, it'll just be dinner with the girls."

Rachel didn't know this, but whenever she lied, her voice grew tight and defensive, and she always spoke louder than usual.

We had been together for ten years. I knew her tells inside out.

Bitterness coated my tongue. I kept my tone deadpan.

"Dinner with friends, right. My slip of the tongue. By the way, Emma has a slight cold. FaceTimed her when you get back tonight. She’s at my mom's and really misses you."

Rachel hesitated, then agreed right away.

As if all my doubts were just in my head.

I had to admit, I wanted to see who she would choose tonight: this college boy, or her own family.

I suddenly remembered a case she had gossiped about a while back—a divorce where the wife had cheated.

What had Rachel said back then?

"So pathetic."

At the time, I thought she meant it was pathetic to throw away a marriage for cheap thrills.

Now I realized what she really meant: the woman was pathetic for being sloppy enough to get caught.

She truly had the nerve to look down on others.

All these years, I had never once questioned her love for me.

We started dating in high school. We went from cap-and-gown sweethearts to the altar, and now we had a five-year-old daughter. In everyone’s eyes, we were the picture-perfect couple.

I knew Rachel was gorgeous. Even after we got married, guys constantly hit on her.

She always shut them down immediately and made it clear she was off the market.

Her phone was always unlocked on the counter. Her wedding ring was never off her finger. Our family photo sat proudly on her desk at the law firm. She never hid her marriage.

For a split second, I had actually wondered if I was losing my mind.

But the cozy selfies on that kid's phone screamed the brutal reality: Rachel had betrayed me.

I took a deep breath and opened our chat.

Just last night, she had texted: I miss you so much.

This morning, she reminded me to wear a warm jacket, warned me about the flu, and told me not to forget Emma's bedtime story.

Caring, attentive, flawless. Like the best wife and mother in the world.

Who could have guessed that behind that sweet facade, she had been cheating on me for an entire year?