CHAPTER ONE:

The champagne in my glass went flat nearly twenty minutes ago.

I still hold it anyway.

My fingers tighten around the stem as I stare out the floor-to-ceiling windows of the rooftop restaurant, watching rain slide down the glass in crooked lines. The city glows beneath me….gold lights, speeding cars, people moving on with their lives while mine slowly cracks apart without me even realizing it.

A soft jazz song plays somewhere in the background, couples laugh quietly around me and I sit alone at a table meant for two.

I glance down at my phone again. It’s 10:43 PM.

No calls, no texts. Nothing.

A waiter approaches carefully, almost looking sorry for me. “Would you like me to warm your meal again, Mrs. Walker?”

Mrs. Walker.

The title suddenly feels strange, like it belongs to someone else.

I force a small smile. “No thank you.”

He nods politely before walking away, but I catch the pity in his eyes anyway.

God.

Humiliation burns slowly in my chest. Tonight is supposed to be our third wedding anniversary.

Three years married to Ethan Walker.

Three years loving a man so deeply that somewhere along the line, I forgot how to protect myself from him.

My eyes drift toward the velvet box sitting beside my purse. Inside is the watch I spent months customizing for him as an anniversary gift.

Platinum silver with minimalist design. Engraved on the back with words that make me feel stupid now.

To forever.

I swallow hard.

Maybe he got caught in traffic, maybe a meeting ran late, maybe………

My phone lights up suddenly.

ETHAN.

Relief hits me instantly.

Then anger follows right behind it.

I answer quickly. “Ethan….”

“I’m tied up right now.”

My smile disappears immediately.

Behind him, I hear music and laughter. Not office sounds or business.

My stomach tightens.

“I’ve been waiting for almost two hours,” I say quietly.

He exhales sharply like I’m exhausting him already. “Amelia, don’t start.”

Don’t start he said.

“I told you tonight mattered to me.”

“And I said I’m busy.”

A woman laughs softly somewhere near him and eerything inside me stills.

“Where are you?” I ask.

Silence.

Then his voice hardens. “Why are you interrogating me?”

Because deep down, I already know. Thats the terrifying part. The body recognizes betrayal long before the heart is ready to accept it.

I stand slowly from my chair, grabbing my purse. “What hotel are you in?”

“Amelia….”

“What hotel?”

Another pause.

Then…….

“You’re being dramatic.”

Then the line disconnects.

I stare at my phone. He hung up on me.

For several seconds I just stand there while restaurant noise buzzes faintly around me. My chest rises unevenly.

Then I grab my purse.

The waiter rushes over. “Mrs. Walker, your bill…..”

“My husband can pay for it.”

My voice sounds unfamiliar.

Too calm…Dangerously calm.

—————

Rain pounds violently against my windshield as I drive through the city.

Every red light feels unbearable, every second stretching too long.

My thoughts spiral endlessly.

Maybe I’m wrong, maybe I’m just overthinking, maybe there’s an explanation….just maybe

But my instincts scream otherwise.

By the time I pull into the underground parking garage of the Grand Chester Hotel, my hands are shaking from dread. I know he’s here because I viewed a story he posted on i*******m.

The elevator ride suffocates me as I stare at my reflection in the mirrored walls.

Cream dress, pearl earrings and soft makeup.

I spent hours getting ready tonight. Hours trying to look beautiful for my husband.

A bitter laugh almost escapes me.

Pathetic.

The elevator doors slide open with a quiet ding.

The hallway is silent except for distant thunder outside.

Suite 2408.

I walk toward it slowly…then stop the door isn’t fully closed and from inside….a woman laughs Intimately. Followed by Ethan’s voice.

My body goes completely numb.

No. No no no….

I push the door open and my entire world shatters.

Ethan is in bed with another woman, wjhite sheets twisted around naked bodies.

A brunette pressed against his chest. Nobody moves or breaths for a second.

Then the woman gasps and grabs the blanket dramatically.

Ethan’s face drains of color.

“Amelia…”

The ringing in my ears grows louder.

I stare at him.

At my husband, the man I defended endlessly, the man I trusted blindly. The man I loved so much it physically hurt sometimes.

Cheating on me…and it’s not rumors or suspicion.

Reality. Ugly, brutal reality.

Ethan scrambles off the bed quickly. “Baby, listen to me….”

“Don’t call me that.”

My voice slices through the room.

The woman looks awkward suddenly, glancing between us before muttering, “I should leave…..”

“Stay,” I say coldly.

She freezes.

I look directly at Ethan. “I want her to hear this too.”

He drags a hand through his hair. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

A laugh escapes me.

“Really?” My eyes burn violently. “Because it looks exactly like you’re fucking another woman on our anniversary.”

“Lower your voice.”

That breaks something in me completely. Not only because he cheated or even because he lied but because his first concern is embarrassment. Not me, never me.

I stare at him like I’ve never truly seen him before.

“You’re unbelievable.”

“You’re emotional right now.”

“Of course I’m emotional!” I snap. “I loved you!”

Silence crashes through the room.

My breathing turns uneven as memories slam into me all at once.

Our wedding day, our honeymoon. The way he kissed my forehead at night, the promises.

God, the promises.

Every single memory feels poisoned now.

“How long?” I whisper.

Ethan says nothing.

And somehow that silence hurts worse than the cheating itself.

Long enough.

Humiliation crashes into me so hard I almost feel dizzy. Slowly, I reach into my purse and pull out the velvet anniversary box.

Ethan notices it immediately and his expression changes. Pain flashing across his face for the first time tonight.