Chapter 1 The Thanksgiving Betrayal

They crowded around Trevor as they ushered him inside, then gathered around the dining table.

I couldn't hear what they were saying, but through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I could see all the dishes spread across the table.

Once everyone was seated, my dad raised a finger to his lips, signaling everyone to be quiet, then pulled out his phone.

A second later, my phone rang with an incoming video call.

I wiped away my tears and tapped the answer button with trembling fingers.

My dad's loving face appeared on my screen. "Happy Thanksgiving, Tristan. Have you had dinner yet?"

My mom squeezed into the frame beside him. "Are you home alone again? This is all our fault. We shouldn't have acted so rashly back then. Now, you don't have anyone to spend the holidays with."

They'd say the same thing every year, making me feel incredibly guilty each time.

I held back my tears and forced a smile. "Why did you make so much food for just the two of you?"

My dad looked startled, and my mom reached over to take the phone. "It's Thanksgiving, after all. Your dad and I are all alone, so we made a few extra dishes. Don't worry about us. We'll see you during New Year's."

I glanced at Allison and Trevor, who were sitting on the other side of the table. "Mom, turn the phone around so I can see."

Everyone looked startled, and my mom's expression darkened. "All right, my phone's about to die. I'll hang up now."

She ended the call and urged everyone to start eating.

Trevor sat there as everyone kept putting food on his plate. He smiled happily, as if trying to calm the situation.

Watching Allison patiently peel shrimp with her head bowed made my stomach turn.

I couldn't bear to watch another second, so I turned and walked away.

…

On the cab ride home, I still couldn't believe what I'd just seen. However, the ache in my heart and the photos on my phone reminded me that it was all real.

When I got home, I dug out the divorce agreement. Allison had personally handed it to me on our wedding day.

"Tristan, I'll never divorce you as long as I live. This agreement is meant to keep me striving to be a good wife, while giving you a choice and protecting you."

Allison had already signed it, and it stipulated that we'd split our assets equally.

Three years ago, after discovering her affair, I'd pulled out the same agreement.

My vision blurred, and tears spread across the paper as my hand shook around the pen.

Just as I was about to sign, the doorbell rang. I put the agreement away and went downstairs to answer the door.

A local courier handed me several boxes of food. "Hello. Your parents asked us to deliver these to you. Could you sign for them, please?"

I signed for the package and opened the containers. They were all dishes my mom had made.

But upon closer inspection, I realized they were all spicy dishes, just like the ones she'd sent me in previous years.

I'd thought my parents' tastes had changed. It had never occurred to me that these were all dishes Trevor liked.

Fighting back my nausea, I dumped every last dish into the trash.