Novel-novel oleh Judith Olivia

I couldn't stop thinking about the necklace.No matter how hard I tried.No matter how many times I told myself there had to be an explanation.The image remained burned into my mind.Evelyn Hart standing in that ballroom.Wearing the necklace Ryan had given me on our fifth wedding anniversary.I searched for that necklace for months.The necklace Ryan claimed had probably been misplaced during one of our moves.I remembered crying when I couldn't find it.I remembered tearing apart drawers and jewelry boxes.I remembered Ryan pulling me into his arms and telling me it was only a necklace.It was only a necklace to him, not me.It's one of the few gifts he'd ever personally chosen for me.One of the few moments that felt like proof he still cared.And now another woman was wearing it.I sat at the edge of my bed and stared blankly at the wall. My chest hurts.Ryan was having an affair with her.The thought repeated itself over and over.At first, I had resisted it. I defended him. I m

"How long have you been standing there?"Ryan's voice cut through the silence like a knife.My heart slammed against my ribs.The office light spilled into the hallway, illuminating his face. His expression was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes I hadn't seen in a long time. His face read suspicion, alertness, and concern at the same time.I tightened my grip on the banister."Not long."My lie sounded weak even to my own ears.Ryan stood staring at me. As if he knew there was more. As if he knew I had heard something."What were you doing outside my office?" he asked.That's a very good question.What was I doing? Spying? Looking for answers?Trying to figure out if my husband was having an affair?The truth sounded pathetic; so I looked away."I was going to ask if you wanted dinner."Ryan's brows furrowed. Dinner? Neither of us believed that. Not after years of eating separately.Not after years of living like strangers under the same roof.Silence stretched between u

The papers scattered across the floor like pieces of a puzzle I couldn't solve.My pulse hammered against my ribs as I stared at the signature again.Evelyn Hart. It was the same woman. The same woman sitting across from Ryan.The same woman whose photo had been sent to me.The same woman who had secretly paid thousands of dollars toward my medical bills.Nothing about it made sense to me. I crouched down and gathered the receipts with trembling fingers.As I flipped, each page felt heavier that the last.Unknowingly, payments were confirmed, payment were processed, and my balance reduced.It occurs date after date.Who does that?Who pays a stranger's hospital bills?And why should she be paying a stranger’s bills?My mind immediately supplied the answer I didn't want.She was a stranger to me, and not to Ryan.The thought made me feel sick. I shoved the documents back into the envelope just as the front door opened.Footsteps echoed through the foyer. It was Ryan.I straightened mysel

I stared at the photograph until the screen blurred. I stared at Ryan and the woman in the restaurant together. The smile on his face—I couldn't remember the last time he smiled like that at me. My fingers trembled so badly that I almost dropped my phone. Beside me, Ryan slept peacefully, as though my world wasn't falling apart, as though a single text message hadn't just shattered whatever remained of my confidence. I looked from the photograph to my husband. I looked back at the photograph, then to him again. Even if this was a prank, the man sleeping beside me looked exactly the same. He had the same sharp jaw, the same dark hair, and the same face I had loved for years. Yet suddenly, the man beside me felt like a stranger.Who was she? The question echoed through my mind. Who was the woman sitting across from him? Why had they met? Why had he smiled? Most importantly... Why had someone sent me the photograph? I read the message again. "Your husban

For a moment, neither of us spoke. The city noise faded into the background. It seemed like people walking past me suddenly disappeared. I can't describe how I felt; I felt ashamed and hopeful at the same time.All I could see was Lucas Bennett standing in front of me. Ten whole years had passed since I had last seen him.Back then, we were inseparable. Back then, life had been simple. Back then, I still believed happy endings were real. Now he was looking at me as if he couldn't recognize that I was the woman sitting before him.Honestly, I couldn't blame him. I barely recognized myself either. "Lucas..." My voice came out weak.He looked devastated. I could already sense pity. The concern in his eyes only grew. "Where have you been?"I almost laughed, though. Of all the things he could have said, that was the one he chose. "Where have you been too?"He smiled at me. "Fair enough.”For a brief second, it seemed like all those years had disappeared. I saw the boy I used to know—the bo

Amelia's POVThe number on the paper refused to change no matter how many times I blinked: $48,732. I held the hospital bill tightly. Forty-eight thousand, seven hundred and thirty-two dollars. It didn't seem real to me yet. Maybe it's a mistake, or maybe someone had accidentally added extra digits. I was trying to convince myself this wasn't real. It looked unreal, but it was real. Every appointment I had, every test I took, every pregnancy that ended before I could hold my baby, and each day I went to the hospital— all of it had become a number. All of it became a debt and reminded me of everything I had lost."Mrs. Carter?"The receptionist's voice snapped me back to reality. I quickly lowered the paper."Y-Yes?" I replied, forcing a smile. She offered me a professional smile in return."The payment deadline is next week. If the balance isn't settled, the account will be forwarded to collections."My stomach dropped instantly. I had to force a smile. "Okay."The lie tas