Chapter 1

The craftsmanship of the blouse was exquisite—exactly the kind of work Marc Maxwell would make himself. But the feel of the fabric beneath my fingertips stirred doubt in my chest.

My sister-in-law and I were nearly identical in size. We both wore a size M—no exceptions. So why would this be an S?

Could he really have mistaken the size?

I reconsidered, then dismissed the thought almost immediately. Marc was a professional fashion designer and the person who understood us both best. How could he possibly make an S-sized blouse for either of us?

Unless… it wasn't made for me—or for his sister.

Then who was it for?

The moment the thought surfaced, it wrapped around my mind like wild vines, tightening with every second.

Forcing myself to calm down, I opened the pet-monitoring app on my phone. I'd been away on business for a month, and the thing I worried about most was our cat. So I had installed cameras in both the living room and the bedroom.

I dragged the timeline back to the day I left.

Besides the housekeeper who came at scheduled times to feed the cat and clean the litter box, no one else had entered the apartment. No visitors. No strangers.

It seemed I was overthinking. He must have been overwhelmed from work—nothing more.

I closed the surveillance app, tossed the blouse onto the sofa, and forced myself to stop spiraling.

Maybe the truth was simple. Maybe I was just exhausted and imagining things.

I took a shower, then leaned back on the sofa and drifted off without realizing it.

Early the next morning, the sound of the door opening jolted me awake.

Marc had returned. His face was drawn with fatigue, and he froze for a moment when he saw me.

"Babe, why are you asleep on the sofa? You scared me," he said as he changed his shoes.

"I wanted to surprise you." I stood up and took his bag. "Have you eaten? Want me to make you something to eat?"

"No, I ate at the office." He rolled his shoulders, then walked to the sofa—and spotted the blouse.

"Oh, I brought the one in your size back. Try it on and see if it fits."

I watched him for a few seconds, silent, before speaking as if casually.

"I just remembered… Isn't Vivienne about the same size as me? Since when did she start wearing size S?"

His smile froze.

That tiny pause made my heart sink again.

"Sigh…" He suddenly exhaled, his voice dropping. "You've been gone for a whole month and didn't spare a single thought for home.

"Vivienne was seriously ill recently. She was hospitalized for more than half a month—she lost so much weight. My company's been drowning in work, and after every shift, I had to rush to the hospital to take care of her. I was completely worn out.

"I must've measured her during that time, and my head just wasn't working. You two are about the same size, so I grabbed the finished piece and brought it home for you without thinking."

The more he spoke, the heavier his voice became, thick with exhaustion.

My heart clenched, guilt swallowing every trace of suspicion. I had been gone for an entire month, and as Vivienne's sister-in-law, I hadn't even called her once.

She'd been seriously ill, and I hadn't known a thing—yet here I was, doubting him over a blouse. What kind of wife did that make me?

"I'm sorry, honey. It's my fault," I said quickly. "I didn't know Vivienne was sick. I'll go with you to see her tomorrow."

"It's fine. You were working." His voice softened again. "I'm just tired and a little emotional. Go rest. I'm going to shower."

As I watched him walk into the bathroom, my emotions tangled painfully inside me.

I could only hope I really was overthinking everything.