Chapter 1

"Ms. Stout, please read the requirements carefully. Once you submit your personal profile and sign up, all of your information will be sealed. You must then enter the research institute within 15 working days. Until the research results are made public, you will not be allowed to leave."

The response from the National Academy of Sciences Research Institute came quickly, accompanied by a form.

Shermaine Stout stared at the screen, but the mouse in her hand suddenly felt as heavy as lead.

The door to her room suddenly swung open, and Shermaine blinked, quickly closing the laptop without a trace of emotion.

"Shermaine, can you stop working for a while? Spend some time with me today. We haven't really been together in a while."

Ezra Yarbrough placed a glass of milk on the bedside table, then sat down next to her. Normally reserved and distant, today he was like a golden retriever, affectionate and clingy, wrapping himself around her.

His handsome face was soft with tenderness and affection.

Shermaine, however, didn't melt into his arms as she usually did.

She stiffened, her back rigid. Her gaze was fixed on Ezra's face, so strikingly handsome, his eyes flickering with desire, and her own reflection visible within them.

The deep, lingering affection was clear.

This was how Shermaine had viewed her relationship with Ezra until yesterday.

Yesterday, when Ezra had accompanied her to see a psychologist, Shermaine had gone to get her medication, but then, suddenly curious about possible side effects, she had turned around to ask the doctor.

It was then, by chance, that she discovered the secret hiding beneath Ezra's tender exterior.

She heard him speak impatiently to the doctor, a side of him she had never expected.

"Doctor, the medication you gave last time didn't work. Shermaine woke up in the middle of the night and almost realized I wasn't home. Increase the dosage. Don't worry about the side effects."

The words hit her like a thunderclap, shattering the illusion of a perfect, harmonious marriage she had long believed in.

Once the lie cracked open, everything that seemed flawless fell apart, leaving only the absurdity of the deception.

Shermaine, a professor at Judgeton University and a PhD advisor, had always been detail-oriented. Finding problems in the smallest things was her strength, so she began to investigate.

The truth hit her hard, unexpectedly laid bare before her eyes.

The other woman was one of her own students—the one she had asked Ezra to support financially due to her poor background.

At some point, the two had become romantically involved, even going so far as for Ezra to drug Shermaine every night, ensuring she would fall asleep without knowing anything.

That was the cause of her recent nightmares, the underlying truth behind her fragile nerves.

Thinking back on it all, Shermaine's heart ached with a painful intensity that nearly shattered her sanity, almost breaking the mask of composure she held up now.

Shermaine forced a smile at Ezra, the expression light and airy. "Alright. How about we go out today?"

Ezra's eyes flickered with a brief flash of guilt, but it was gone in an instant.

He didn't answer and merely handed her the milk with a gentle tone. "Sure. It's up to you. But drink this first. I've heated it to the perfect temperature, just the way you like it."

Shermaine stared at the milk in front of her, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"Ezra, maybe another day. My stomach's not feeling well today."

Ezra, busy with getting ready, didn't notice her distress. He gently patted her head.

"Come on. You're an adult. Stop making a fuss about not drinking your milk. Be good and drink it up. You said it's the best protein."

Shermaine took a deep breath, then, in front of him, drank a large sip of the milk.

Ezra visibly relaxed and stood up. "I'm going to handle some company matters. You stay here and wait for me."

But Shermaine knew exactly what was happening. He was waiting for the effects of the drug to take hold.

Watching him leave the bedroom, Shermaine quickly filled out the form and, this time with no hesitation, clicked "Send".