Chapter 1

This month, Julian's business trip dragged on longer than any before it.

He used to hate being away. He'd cut every trip short if he could.

And every time he came home, he stuck to me like a human magnet, keeping me up the whole night.

But starting last month, something in him had changed.

"Last time he came home, he said he was tired. Wanted an early night."

"He's never been like that before."

"And this month he keeps putting off coming back. I've actually started to miss him."

When I said all this to my sister, Chloe rolled her eyes at me, half laughing.

"You really have to wonder? Your husband's obviously cheating."

She cradled a tall cup of coffee and took a careless sip.

"I told you from the start, he was only with you for the novelty. You wouldn't listen. What man doesn't want someone younger?"

I shook my head. "Don't say things like that. Julian promised he'd take care of me his whole life."

Julian was five years younger than me, and the only heir to the Sterling Group.

When he proposed, his parents fought it with everything they had.

He'd already been promised to someone else, an engagement his family had arranged back when he was a boy, to the daughter of an old family friend.

To stop him from marrying me, his father resorted to the family’s disciplinary punishment.

Julian gritted his teeth and bore ninety-nine blows from his father. His back was a mangled mess of flesh and blood, swollen and burning with searing pain.

How could a man who'd sacrificed that much for me ever cheat?

Chloe sighed and shook her head, lips pressed flat.

I've always been emotionally dense, a beat too slow on everything, the textbook "bookworm" everyone calls me.

My half-sister Chloe, though, has been sharp since we were kids. Over the years, she's worried about me more times than I can count.

Three days later, while I was running an experiment in the university lab, a student called me out of nowhere.

"Professor Quinn, I'm at a bar downtown and I just saw your husband get into it with some guy. The other guy's threatening to call the cops. Maybe you should come down?"

I laughed a little. "You've got the wrong person. My husband's still away on business."

But after I hung up, my hands went still over the equipment.

Without quite knowing why, I got in my car and drove to the bar the student had named.

Outside one of the private rooms, I caught a voice I knew.

"Julian, you went way too far. The guy barely brushed against me. Why'd you hit him that hard?"

It was Chloe.

Something in my chest gave a faint shiver.

Had someone bothered her? Was she hurt? Thank god Julian was there, or who knows what could've happened.

My work back at the lab wasn't finished. I was about to slip quietly away when my feet stopped on their own.

Julian was supposed to be away on business. Why would he be here, alone, with Chloe?

My heart clenched, and before I could think I'd stepped closer.

Through the gap in the half-open door, I saw Julian sprawled lazily in Chloe's lap, one hand already wandering up under the hem of her dress.

"You're mine. I won't let anyone else touch you."

Chloe gave a soft snort, tracing little circles on his cheek.

"Don't say that. If my sister ever found out, it'd break her heart."

"And I couldn't bear to see her hurt."

I stood frozen, like I'd been struck by lightning.

It was the height of summer, and yet I was cold all over, like I'd been dropped into a well of ice.

Just then a delivery guy walked up, checking the "VIP" number on the room over and over before setting a bag down at my feet.

It was a delivery from the pharmacy.

As if I already knew what was inside, I tore the bag open with shaking hands.

A box of condoms stared back at me.

Julian had told me about this brand once. He said he loved the fresh strawberry flavor.

My mind snapped back to the past.

Chloe. Strawberries were always her favorite.

My heart sank like a stone.

So this had started a long, long time ago.

The delivery guy gave me a few pitying glances as he left.

I stood there staring dumbly at the box of Durex in my hand, my head swimming.

The breathing inside the room had already turned ragged, impatient.

Julian was never a patient man.

I drew a slow breath, tucked the box back in the bag, and pushed the door open.

"Your delivery's here."

I set the bag on the table by their hands, calm as if nothing in the world had happened.

Julian shoved Chloe off him.

He scrambled to fix his shirt, and when I caught the red mark on his collar, my stomach turned over.

"Vivian, what are you doing here, I —"

His voice cut out.

"Vivian, let me explain."

"Explain what?"

I didn't get the chance to answer. Chloe spoke first.

"Why bother explaining, Julian?"

"My sister's slow. She's not blind."

Chloe pulled Julian aside.

"Julian, it's come to this. There's no point hiding it anymore."

Then she walked straight up to me.

"All this time, Julian's been lying to you, telling you he wasn't back yet. He's been here with me the whole time."

"A few days ago, when you asked about the mark on my neck and I said it was a mosquito bite, I was lying then too. It's a love bite. Julian gave it to me."

Her eyes met mine, taunting.

"Vivian, I fell for your husband. And I slept with him."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

I looked into her eyes. In thirty plain, quiet years, I'd never been handed a problem this hard.

I shook my head numbly.

I didn't know.

"Chloe, stop stirring things up."

Julian fumbled to drag her aside.

"Vivian, don't be upset. We'll talk about all this at home."

"Don't you still have to get back to the lab? Go on ahead. I'll take Chloe home, she just had a scare, I don't want her on her own —"