Chapter 1

Shane's POV

My heart raced, and a wave of dizziness nearly knocked me off balance.

"You're joking, right?" I asked in a shaking voice.

After eight years of marriage and seven years of knowing each other before that, I refused to believe Dawn Arnold would ever betray me.

"Even if it isn't a joke, why did you choose to tell me today, out of all days?" I pressed.

As if amused by my naivety, Dawn curled her lips into a faint smile before turning slightly to look at Felix Tanner, who was busy hosting the funeral guests nearby. Her gaze instantly softened.

When she spoke, her voice was soft, but every word she said seemed to stab into my heart like a knife.

"Honestly, I've always felt a little guilty watching you get played for a fool by Felix and me.

"Remember the last time you asked why the condoms in the drawer went missing? I told you I threw them out, when in truth, I used them with Felix."

She paused before reaching down to brush against my empty pant leg.

"I really love you, Shane Conway.

"But every time I look at your amputated leg… and at that kind of scar… It just makes me sick to my stomach."

My stomach churned violently, and I had to fight down the urge to gag on my own bile.

Dawn used to be Dad's student, and Dad had once saved Felix's life. But now, the two of them had joined hands to stab me in the back.

"Felix's birthday is coming up in a few days, and it also happens to be our one-year anniversary. I figured I'd tell you now, rather than letting you find out later and make a scene."

Blood in my veins slowly turned cold. I bit down hard on my lips, fighting to stay conscious, until beads of blood began dripping from the corner of my mouth.

Seeing me in this state, Dawn helplessly crouched down. She reached out to wipe the blood from my lips before pulling a slightly crumpled document from her bag.

"Don't do this, Shane. If you can't accept it, we can get a divorce. But look at you in your current state; where would you even go?"

The sight of Dawn's signature inked on the divorce papers seemed to stab into my eyes. Summoning a burst of strength from nowhere, I snatched the papers out of her hands, ripped them into shreds, and threw them in her face.

Then, I raised my hand and delivered a slap right across her cheek.

Dawn didn't dodge. All she did was look at me with traces of pity in her eyes.

My chest heaved violently. The commotion was so loud that Felix noticed and immediately rushed over, looking worried and concerned.

"Shane, are you okay? Is your leg hurting again?

"I brought painkillers…"

He frantically dug through his pockets for the painkiller, but before he could hand it to me, the final thread in my mind holding everything together snapped.

I aggressively smacked the box away.

Startled by my sudden aggression, Felix instinctively looked at Dawn, who merely pressed her lips together and looked away without saying a word.

Felix's expression immediately darkened. He stood frozen on the spot and nervously apologized, "I'm sorry, Shane. If there's anyone you want to blame, blame me.

"Dawn and I just made a mistake. I actually meant to open the door for you that day…"

He was utterly incoherent.

Driven mad by the betrayal, I forced myself up and brutally grabbed his collar. But my body gave out under the strain, and I humiliatingly collapsed onto the floor.

Felix stepped back, while Dawn shielded him behind her back and stared me down.

"Why? Why would you do this to me?" I demanded.

Pain spread deep into my bone marrow. Cold sweat covered my forehead, but it was nothing compared to the crushing agony in my heart.

The mourning guests noticed the scene and looked over.

Dawn crouched down and reached out to gently wipe the sweat from my forehead. Her voice was soft, but it carried pure cruelty.

"Today's Mr. Conway's funeral, Shane. And you're his son.

"Don't humiliate yourself in front of all these people. Whatever it is, we can talk about it when we get home."

She never helped me up, so I lay there, sprawled flat on the floor, before dragging myself into a seated position with great difficulty.

I raised my head to look at Dad's black-and-white memorial portrait on the altar, then helplessly watched as Dawn led Felix away.