Chapter 1

My phone suddenly rang from inside my purse, and Hudson Darby and Mia Sullivan instantly pulled apart.

Hudson looked toward the door in a panic. "Who's there?"

I quickly hung up the call, swallowed down the bitter taste rising in my throat, and pushed the door open. "Hudson, it's me."

Hudson's face went pale in an instant, and he laughed awkwardly. "Honey... I thought you left. Why'd you come back?"

I swallowed back the nausea as I kicked off my shoes and grumbled. "I got downstairs and realized I forgot the files that I needed for my meeting. I'm in a rush, and it's driving me crazy."

Hearing that, Hudson thought I had not overheard their conversation and let out a huge sigh of relief. "You scared me. I thought someone broke in. Why didn't you just call me? I could've brought the files down to you so you wouldn't have to make another trip."

I subtly put some distance between us. "It's fine. I needed to use the bathroom anyway."

I glanced over at Mia and asked, "What's wrong with Mia? She doesn't look so good."

Mia's face was just as pale, and she was clutching her belly protectively. It was like she thought I was going to lunge at her and hurt the baby any second now.

Hudson stiffened for a moment, then smiled. "Oh, she was just having some stomach pain earlier."

"Really?" I pretended to be concerned, then walked into the study to grab my files. While I was at it, I slipped the prenatal checkup receipt out as well.

"Well, you'll need to take good care of her then. After all, she's pregnant now, and that's not easy."

I headed toward the door. "I'm running late, so I need to get back to the office."

"Okay, drive safe." Hudson walked me to the door like the perfect husband.

The moment the door closed, I leaned against the wall, gasping for air. I was such a coward for not confronting them right then and there. I had no idea how to deal with the fact that my beloved husband and my best friend had been sleeping together.

My chest tightened, and it hurt.

I could faintly hear Mia's voice through the door. "That was terrifying… Do you think she'd figured it out?"

Hudson sounded completely unconcerned. "Even if she did, it's not like she'd actually divorce me. We've been together for seven years, and she can't live without me. When it comes down to it, she'll just have to suck it up and help us raise the kid."

"Stop it! I don't want her raising our baby. This is our baby…"

The bitterness in my chest spread straight to my heart. All these years, I really had loved Hudson with everything I had.

I did not even remember how I made it to the office. My mind was a mess, and the meeting I had prepared for ended up being postponed because I was not in the right state.

I locked myself in my office and stayed there until the end of the workday.

The prenatal checkup receipt lay spread out on my desk. The two signatures on it felt like they were mocking me.

I had thought I was the happiest woman in the world, with a successful career, a caring husband, and a best friend who understood me. But in the end, I was just the clown in someone else's story.

The tears finally spilled over, and I covered my mouth as my body shook with sobs.

I kept asking myself over and over, "Why me? What did I do wrong?"

But after the crying stopped, I finally woke up to the truth. There had been signs all along.

Hudson was right about one thing, though. I had trusted them way too much.