Chapter 1

I wasn't out to suspect Stuart. I mean, in marriage, trust was the whole deal, right? That was why we never put up cameras or snooped through each other's phones.

Maybe I'd just been too naive.

I tore through the whole house—nothing. No ashtrays, no lighters, not even a hint of smoke. For a second, I wondered if I'd just been wrong. Maybe the hamster was just... sick.

Then I saw it—the wallpaper.

There used to be a tiny pen mark behind the couch where I'd scratched it. It was gone. The whole section had been replaced.

That was when it clicked. If someone had been smoking in here for months, the wallpaper would've yellowed. Stuart must've swapped it out before I got back.

I called him.

He answered right away, voice soft. "Hey, honey, what's wrong?"

"Why'd the wallpaper get changed?" I asked, playing it cool.

"Oh, that?" He laughed. "My mom stayed over and messed it up, so I replaced it."

He sounded totally normal. Not a crack in his voice. "Anyway, I booked us a place for tonight. Dress up, okay? I wanna see my gorgeous wife properly."

I hung up, but the longer I sat with it, the worse it felt. Finally, I posted on social media:

[Just got back from a six-month business trip. Found my hamster dead, lungs completely black. Suspect someone's been smoking at home—or worse. Should I suspect my husband of cheating?]

Replies came in fast:

[Do you even need to ask? Ninety percent chance he's cheating.]

[Look for extra women's stuff in the house.]

[Pointless. I'm a guy—currently cheating. We clean that stuff up way ahead of time.]

[Dude upstairs... we didn't need that much honesty.]

[Maybe your husband's just a heavy smoker hiding it?]

[Here's what you do: slip the security guard a few hundred, ask if anyone's been coming in and out.]

I just stared at the screen, heart racing, mind spinning.

Distracted, I changed and headed out to dinner.

Stuart had booked my favorite spot.

He couldn't handle spicy food, but still ordered a full table of flaming red dishes just for me—sweating and chugging water the whole time.

For a second, I felt guilty.

'Maybe I AM overthinking this.'

Halfway through dinner, I couldn't hold it in.

"The hamster we raised died. You know that, right?"

He nodded, looking genuinely upset. Took my hand, gave it a squeeze. "I was gonna tell you. It got sick a while back. I took it to the vet, but they said there wasn't much hope. Don't be sad—we can get another one."

His voice was steady. No panic, no guilt.

Again, I started to doubt myself.

Maybe he really was just smoking at home and trying to hide it?

After dinner, he smiled and handed me a gift—perfectly wrapped.

I opened it. Inside was a bracelet—the exact same one I already owned.

I froze. "Honey, I already have one."

He looked a little caught off guard, but recovered fast with a smile. "That's fine. You can never have too many bracelets. If you like them, I'll buy you as many as you want."

That wasn't him. Not even close.

I stayed quiet as we walked out of the restaurant.

When I reached for his hand, he flinched—just barely—but I felt it.

I looked up at him. He paused for two seconds, then grabbed my hand like nothing happened.

Smiling, he said, "You've been gone six months. I'm just not used to it yet."

I didn't say a word.

All I could think about was that comment from social media—

[Initiate physical contact. If he pulls away, even a little, there's a 99% chance he's cheating.]

We walked hand in hand toward the garage. Up ahead, a girl stood by a parking space, head down, texting.

When she spotted me, she froze for a split second—then flashed a smile. "Hi, Dr. Loughlin."

I stopped.

Zoey Gacke. One of the interns from our hospital.

She gave Stuart a quick nod. "Hi, Dr. Cooper."

Stuart smiled back. "What a coincidence."

But it wasn't. Something felt off.

Yeah, we both worked at Nordica City National Research Hospital, but in different departments. He'd been stuck in outpatient for years. Zoey was an intern rotating through inpatient. There was no reason she should've known him—let alone greeted him so casually.

They started chatting like old friends. Zoey kept tucking her hair behind her ear, over and over.

That was when I saw it. On her wrist—a bracelet.

Same exact design as the one Stuart had just given me.

But then I saw it. A tiny chip in the mother-of-pearl.

That wasn't a copy.

That was my bracelet.