Chapter 1

Heather's POV

My hands trembled so badly that I could barely hold my phone. It wasn't until the phone vibrated that I snapped out of my daze. Every message had been deleted.

The doctor studied my test results, his frown deepening at the alarming numbers. "Your cognitive function has already been damaged. The side effects of this medication are practically toxic. Does your family even care about your well-being?"

I clenched my fists, my throat tightening until I couldn't get a single word out.

When I remained silent, the doctor sighed. "Stop taking the medication immediately. The nerve damage is irreversible."

I thanked him, grabbed my test results, and practically fled the examination room. I leaned against the wall, my strength giving out. A chill swept through me, as though I'd been plunged into ice water.

Ever since my diagnosis, Mom had taken early retirement to look after my mental health. My best friend, Sara Lawson, had given up an annual bonus worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, taking a week off every month to accompany me to follow-up appointments.

I'd been so touched by everything they'd done for me. But it had all been an elaborate lie.

No wonder Sara had insisted on keeping my medical records for me. Whenever the doctors spoke to my parents, they never allowed me into the room. They'd divided their roles so carefully, all to keep me from discovering the truth.

For two whole years, they'd been feeding me medication that caused face blindness, just so Theodore Vane and my sister, Celeste Ashcroft, could carry on their affair right under my nose.

The moment tears spilled down my cheeks, a door at the end of the hallway opened. A group of people emerged, and I quickly ducked into the emergency stairwell.

Theodore held Celeste in his arms and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. "Still feeling sick after throwing up?"

Sara helped Celeste into her coat while Theodore wrapped a scarf around her neck. Even my mother fussed over her, adjusting her clothes. "Theodore, it's been two weeks. You should go back to Heather tomorrow before she starts getting suspicious."

My mind went blank. A searing pain tore through my chest, so intense that I could barely stay on my feet.

Theodore's job was unusual. He would spend half of every month away on business trips. Because he worked on classified projects, he supposedly had to surrender his phone whenever he was away.

I'd tried to be an understanding wife and never burdened him with my problems. When a shady real estate agent harassed me, I'd gone to the police myself. When I'd fallen seriously ill with a fever, I'd endured it alone.

But I'd never imagined that being so understanding would only make things easier for him.

For the first half of every month, while he was unreachable, he played the devoted boyfriend to my younger sister. Then, for the remaining two weeks, he came home and pretended to be my loving husband.

My throat tightened, and a violent wave of nausea churned in my stomach.

"I just feel terrible for Celeste. Her morning sickness is at its worst, and you can't even stay with her."

The next moment, Celeste began to sob. "But what if Heather finds out? We've already lied to her about so much."

Sara gently wiped away her tears and reassured her. "She won't find out. Remember when she stopped taking her medication for a while and caught you two fooling around at home? We managed to talk our way out of it with just a few excuses."

Mom chimed in sympathetically. "Exactly, Celeste. Don't worry so much. Right now, we're the people she depends on the most."

The figures before me quickly blurred together.

I remembered one time when I'd returned from a business trip and realized I'd forgotten my house keys. Without calling ahead, I'd gone straight to Mom's house.

When I walked in, I found used condoms scattered across the floor. My face burning with embarrassment, I'd been carefully backing out of the room when the man who'd been in the bedroom suddenly appeared in the living room.

My eyes met Theodore's, and my mind went blank. Trembling all over, I'd demanded to know why they'd betrayed me.

Just as I'd grabbed a knife, my parents and Sara had rushed in with a doctor's diagnosis, insisting that my condition had worsened because I'd stopped taking my medication.

After I took the pills, the man's face quickly became a blur. I'd naively believed the medication was working and apologized over and over, consumed by guilt.

So that was how they'd managed to fool me all along.

I wiped the tears from my cheeks, feeling as though someone had slapped me hard across the face. My head was still ringing.

With trembling fingers, I pulled out my phone and called the number pinned to the top of my contacts. The calls that had never gone through before were suddenly connecting.

"Theodore, is there something you're hiding from me?"