Chapter 1

It didn't take long after the alumni get-together for everyone to notice something was off about Kathleen Whelan.

First, she deleted every post about her husband, Greg Gilliam, from her social media.

When Greg came home at night, she no longer left a light on for him.

Then she stopped her IVF treatments.

Five years ago, Kathleen and Greg had been in a car accident. At the moment of impact, she had thrown herself over him and shielded him with her own body.

Greg had come out of the crash almost completely unscathed. Kathleen had been badly injured and remained unconscious for three straight days.

Afterward, the doctors told her she would likely struggle to conceive for the rest of her life. But Greg's family wanted him to carry on the family line and give them grandchildren to dote on.

So month after month, Kathleen went back to the hospital and endured injections with long needles. Every day, she hoped she would finally get pregnant.

Eventually, she stopped handling the Gilliam family's day-to-day affairs too. She no longer went to Gilliam Manor to check in on them, and she stopped caring what Greg was doing or where he went.

It was almost as if she had forgotten she was Mrs. Gilliam and could have spent her life in comfort and luxury. Instead, she threw herself into work, leaving home early and coming back late.

It wasn't until that day that Greg finally realized how much she had changed. After wrapping up his work, he went to her studio.

He arrived in a tailored suit, carrying himself with the quiet authority of a man who was used to being in charge.

"Kathleen."

Greg called her name from the doorway, his voice warm and gentle.

Kathleen paused over her work but didn't turn around.

"What is it?" she asked quietly.

She used to get up the second he came through the door. She would help him out of his cold suit jacket, then cup his hands in hers and breathe on them until they were warm.

Now, she didn't even look at him.

The difference threw Greg off for a moment. He tried to read her expression, but she turned away, letting her long hair fall across her face.

"You should head home. I'll be working for a while."

Kathleen sounded perfectly polite, but that only made Greg more uneasy.

He hadn't made it to the alumni get-together that day because something had come up. He didn't hear about what Rita had said until later.

But Rita had been drunk. She had just been talking nonsense.

"Kathleen, it's not the way Rita made it sound. She was drunk and didn't know what she was saying. There's nothing between us anymore. I'm only helping her because she's completely broke."

"You didn't do anything wrong. We all went to school together, after all. And now that you're a successful businessman, I guess it looks good to be generous. I'd help her too if I were you."

"I saw on Rita's social media that it's her birthday today. Aren't you going to celebrate with her?"

Greg frowned. "Kathleen, are you mad at me? I came here to see you because I wanted us to go home together!"

Kathleen kept working at her desk, making adjustments to the sketch in front of her.

"She only gets one birthday a year. You'll regret it if you miss her party."

Greg's voice sharpened with irritation. "But we haven't even had dinner together or sat down and talked at home in days, Kathleen!"

He had barely finished speaking when his phone rang.

Rita Elway sounded close to tears on the other end. "Greg, I accidentally dropped my birthday cake. Could you pick up another one on your way over? My birthday just won't feel complete without it."

Greg narrowed his eyes in irritation, but he was already turning toward the door.

At the door, he stopped.

He caught Kathleen's reflection in the glass. She was still working, her movements as steady as ever. She didn't look upset at all. It was almost as if she truly didn't care.

"Kathleen, wait for me when you get home, okay? And have something ready to help me sober up. They're definitely going to keep the drinks coming tonight.

"I also bought you an antique bronze figurine at auction. They say it brings good luck to couples trying for a baby. We'll have a baby someday."

Kathleen didn't get a chance to answer before Greg closed the door behind him and left.

In the corner of the studio, Kathleen's assistant watched him go, her eyes red.

"How can Mr. Gilliam do this to you? He knows you got hurt protecting him, and now you may never be able to have children. How can he go celebrate another woman's birthday and say something like that to you?"

"It's okay," Kathleen said softly.

The pages on her desk told a different story. They were covered in tear stains, the ink bleeding into a blur.

Numbly, Kathleen finished editing the last line of the email on her phone and hit send.

A reply came soon after.

"I'd be thrilled to have you join my design studio overseas. I've been waiting a long time for you to join me."

Kathleen smiled again.

In seven days, she would walk away from this place and leave Greg and Rita to each other.