Chapter 1

Patricia’s POV

I didn't know today would be the day my five year marriage began to fall apart.

Five years of marriage had taught me not to expect much from Maverick Anderson, but today was our anniversary. I thought if there was one day he might choose me over work... surely it would be today. 

I got out of bed before six, making sure not to wake him up as he slept on his side of our king-sized bed. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep, his sharp jawline looking a little softer against the white pillows.

I quietly slipped down to the kitchen and decided to make breakfast myself instead of letting the housekeepers do it. I wanted today to feel normal, like we were just a regular married couple who actually liked each other.

I made his favorite scrambled eggs, crisp bacon, and black coffee just the way he liked it.

While the coffee was brewing, I stood by the counter and thought about the last five years of my life. Maverick was never the kind of man who showed a lot of emotion.

He was quiet, cold, and always focused on his business empire. But over the years, I had constantly convinced myself that his quiet nature didn't mean he didn't care about me.

He was just a busy man, that was all. He had a lot of responsibilities on his shoulders, so I always made excuses for him whenever he forgot my birthday or missed dinner dates.

I truly believed that deep down under that icy wall, he had feelings for me.

I walked back up to our room, holding a small box wrapped in dark blue paper that I had bought weeks ago. It was a custom watch I had spent months searching for, something I knew he would appreciate.

By the time I came into the bedroom, Maverick was already dressed in his sharp charcoal suit, adjusting his tie in front of the full-length mirror.

"Happy anniversary, Maverick," I said, offering him a small, nervous smile as I set the gift on his nightstand.

He glanced at the box for barely a second before turning his attention back to his reflection. "Thank you, Patricia. I have a long day at the office today, so do not wait up for me."

"Oh," I said, my heart taking a tiny little dip. "I was hoping maybe we could have dinner tonight? Just the two of us?"

"I have meetings all evening," he said flatly, pulling his suit jacket on. "We can celebrate another time."

Before I could even reply, he grabbed his briefcase and walked out of the bedroom, leaving me standing there with the wrapped box still sitting untouched on the table.

I told myself not to get upset. It was just work, after all, and he was a very important man.

I spent the entire day preparing for the evening anyway, holding onto that foolish little hope that he might change his mind and come home early. I cleaned up the house, arranged fresh flowers in the living room, and even ordered a high-end dinner to be delivered late in the afternoon.

I put on a soft peach dress that I knew looked nice on me and sat down on the living room sofa around six o'clock.

Seven o'clock came and went.

Then eight o'clock.

Then nine o'clock.

I sat there in the quiet living room, watching the hands on the wall clock move further and further away from the time he usually came home. The silence in the house was so loud it was making my head ache.

I kept checking my phone every five minutes, but there were no calls and no text messages from him.

By ten o'clock, the food was completely cold on the dining table, and the candles had burned all the way down to tiny nubs of wax. I sat on the edge of the sofa, hugging my knees to my chest as the initial excitement drained out of me, leaving behind a cold, hollow feeling.

Finally, around eleven-thirty, the heavy front door finally opened with a click.

A sudden wave of relief washed over me, and I quickly stood up, smoothing out my dress. I forced a smile onto my face, ready to tell him it was fine and that I was just glad he was home safely.

I took a few steps toward the foyer.

"Maverick, I thought you were stuck at the—"

The words completely froze in my throat when I saw who walked into the house right behind him.

A beautiful woman with long, shiny blonde hair and a glowing smile stepped into our hallway. She was wearing an expensive silk dress, looking completely glamourous and not tired at all.

Her name was Darbie, and the moment she walked into the foyer, she acted warm and completely familiar with the space, like she had lived here her entire life.

She handed her coat to Maverick without even looking, and he naturally reached out to take it from her, holding it carefully over his arm.

He had never held my coat like that before.

"Oh, wow, Maverick," Darbie said, her sweet, high voice echoing off the high ceilings as she looked around the room. "The place looks almost exactly the same as when we were younger. It brings back so many memories."

She turned around and finally noticed me standing at the edge of the hallway, holding onto the doorframe.

"Oh, hi!" Darbie giggled softly, walking straight up to me with an open, friendly look that felt completely fake. "You must be Patricia. Maverick has told me a little bit about you."

I just stood there, completely stunned, my hands going cold as I looked from her perfectly styled hair to Maverick's totally calm face.

She looked so completely comfortable standing inside my home that for a second, I felt like the outsider standing in my own living room. I felt like a stranger who had accidentally walked into someone else's house at the wrong time.

Darbie stepped right past me to touch one of the marble statues in the hallway, laughing softly at a joke only she and Maverick understood.

"I hope I am not intruding," she added, turning back to give me a sweet smile that didn't reach her eyes. "My apartment had a terrible water leak tonight, and I just had nowhere else to turn. Maverick was nice enough to rescue me."

I didn't say a single word to her. I couldn't move, and I couldn't even force my mouth to open because the knot in my chest was tightening so fast I couldn't breathe properly.

My five-year anniversary was completely ruined, sitting cold on the dining table, while my husband stood in the foyer with another woman hanging onto his every word.

I shifted my eyes away from Darbie and locked them straight onto Maverick's face, silently begging him to say something to make this make sense.

I looked at Maverick, waiting for him to explain.

Instead, he said,

"Darbie will be staying with us for a while.”