Chapter 1

My body went rigid, and it felt as if every drop of blood in me had rushed straight to my head.

That was impossible.

But those really were my two daughters' birthdays. I couldn't have remembered them wrong. My mind went completely blank, and for a second, even my breathing hitched.

The hot water I was using to make formula spilled onto my feet, but I stood there as if I couldn't feel anything.

I stared at those hotel room photos and zoomed in on them as much as I could.

I recognized the wallpaper, the bedside lamp, and even the room's layout. It was the same hotel chain that my wife, Evelyn Sachs, and I had often gone to before we were married.

Even through the blur, I could still make out the shape of her hairstyle.

It looked so much like her that a chill ran down my spine.

"This can't be real…" I murmured.

The next second, "Evie Sachs" sent another message, her tone light and shameless.

"Men are all the same, aren't they? They don't care whether the kids look like them. They only care whether they're having a good time."

The group chat instantly exploded.

"Girl, you're the boldest slut I've ever seen!"

"You don't get it. This is what makes her so real. The contrast is insane."

"Send a photo of you two or something from the scene. Drop the link!"

"Is there a video? I want to see what your husband looks like after getting cheated on."

My fingers shook, and all the color drained from my face.

Those people were laughing and asking for photos. At that moment, I wanted to break through the screen and tear every single one of them apart.

I kept my eyes fixed on that woman's profile picture. It showed only half of a woman's face. She was still posting, as if she were showing off.

"My husband has been raising both kids as his own this whole time. You have no idea how happy he is."

The people in the group went wild once more.

"Damn, girl! You're crazy!"

"Your husband got tricked into raising another man's kids. He's so pathetic."

"Girl, I understand exactly how you feel because I'm a bitch, too."

She took her time and sent out a few more screenshots. They were all hotel check-in records, and the dates were exactly nine months apart from the dates of birth on my daughters' birth certificates.

"Every time he went on a business trip, I met up with my first love. He didn't know a thing about the pregnancies, the births, or my postpartum recovery."

I watched as line after line of text scrolled past in the group chat. Every comment was like a blade, cutting into my heart over and over again.

"Is it true? Neither of my daughters is related to me?"

My throat tightened, and even getting the words out felt difficult. My hand was trembling so badly that I could barely hold the formula.

Then, Evie posted the final blow.

"My husband is actually in the middle of making baby milk and doing night feedings right now. Haha! Men really are pathetic."

At that moment, something in my head exploded.

I shot to my feet so abruptly that I knocked over the coffee table. Broken glass sliced into my foot, but I didn't feel any pain.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

Evelyn's voice came from the bedroom, but I couldn't be bothered to answer her.

The members of the group chat were still laughing, and Evelyn was still putting on a show, but I knew this wasn't a joke.