Chapter 3

Sadie couldn't remember the address, but I found it through the GPS in Kate's car.

It was a villa in the southern part of the city. She drove more than 50 miles each way, making the trip twice a day.

I entered Gideon's birthday into the keypad, and the door unlocked.

The first thing I saw was a pair of matching slippers. Then came matching mugs, matching gloves, matching hats…

Almost everything in the house came in pairs.

I dug my nails into my palms as a dull ache spread through my chest.

I'd once suggested buying matching things for us too, but Kate had dismissed the idea as childish. She'd said we'd been married for years and didn't need all those little romantic gestures.

So it wasn't that she didn't like them. She'd simply been saving all that romance and tenderness for Gideon.

I walked farther inside.

The walls were covered with photographs of them together, taken throughout the year.

Last March, when I'd been in a car accident and broken my leg, they'd been in Gonga, admiring the snow-covered mountains.

In July, when Sadie had come down with the flu and was receiving an IV at the hospital, they'd been by the sea, wrapped in each other's arms.

On New Year's Eve that year, the two of them had claimed they couldn't make it back to the country in time. Instead, they'd stayed here, cooking and watching fireworks together.

I gripped one of the photo frames so tightly that my hands began to shake.

I stumbled backward and knocked over a vase on the table. Pollen scattered into the air, and within seconds, my chest began to tighten.

I was allergic to pollen, yet fresh flowers were everywhere in the house. Fighting through the pain, I made my way outside and drove straight to the hospital.

After buying my medication, I called Kate 12 times, but she didn't even answer once.

I put my phone away, almost laughing at myself for how ridiculous my instinctive dependence on her had become.

Then I looked up, and there she was.

The woman who had ignored all 12 of my calls was now standing outside the obstetrics and gynecology department. She nestled tenderly against a man's chest, one hand resting over her lower abdomen as she whispered something in his ear.

Our eyes met across the corridor.

For half a second, my heart seemed to stop.

Panic flashed across Kate's face. She immediately stepped in front of Gideon, trying to shield him from my view.

"Kate!" I chased after them.

I grabbed Gideon by the shirt, but I couldn't bring myself to pull hard.

Tears spilled uncontrollably down my face.

"What are you two doing here?" I choked.

Kate pressed her lips together.

"You've misunderstood," she quickly said, avoiding my eyes. "He's an important client of mine."

Gideon cowered behind her, refusing to look up. I seized his collar and forced him to turn toward me.

"Gideon, how much longer are you two planning to keep this from me?" I demanded. "Is Kate pregnant with your child? Tell me!

"Gavin…" Gideon's eyes were bloodshot as he shook his head frantically, unable to get a word out.

"Gavin, if you have something to say, say it to me," Kate cut in, shoving me away. "Leave him alone!"

I threw her arm off me with all the strength I had.

"Kate, how could you be this disgusting?" I barked. "You could've cheated with anyone, but you chose my own brother!"

My hysterical accusation echoed through the entire corridor.

People immediately gathered around us, pointing and whispering as they watched the two of them.

"Oh my God! She's sleeping with her own husband's brother? That's disgusting. What a shameless woman!"

"She got pregnant by him, too. If they hadn't run into each other at the hospital, her husband might never have found out…"

"People like that deserve to be sent straight to hell!"

"I didn't!" Gideon shouted. "It's not like that!"

He covered his ears, then collapsed to the floor in agony.

"Gideon!"

Kate's eyes reddened as she crouched beside him. She reached out to hold him, but he shoved her away.

She fell hard against the floor, and blood immediately began running down her thigh.

The color drained from Gideon's face. He scooped Kate up in his arms and rushed toward the emergency room like a madman.

"Where's the doctor? Someone, help her!"

As I watched Kate writhe in pain, concern and resentment churned violently inside me.

In the end, I gritted my teeth and followed them, unable to stop myself from wanting to stay by her side.

But the moment I reached for her arm, Gideon turned around and kicked me hard in the stomach.

"Get away!" He glared at me through clenched teeth, resentment burning in his eyes. "I won't let you touch her again."

I went tumbling down the staircase beside me. Pain exploded through my arm, then came the sickening crack of breaking bone.

My arm was broken.

…

When I found Kate again, she was forcing herself to stay awake, gently wiping Gideon's body. She merely shot me a cold glance when she learned that I'd broken my arm.

"You brought this on yourself," she spat. "Who told you to kill my child? You drove Gideon into such a rage that he ended up with a fever all night."

I stared at her in stunned disbelief, tears welling up despite everything I could do to hold them back.

This wasn't the first time I'd broken an arm for her.

Eight years ago, one of her investors had tried to take advantage of her. I'd stepped in to protect her, only to have someone smash my arm with a brick.

Kate had been so frantic as she rushed me to the hospital. She'd sat beside my bed, crying so hard she could barely catch her breath.

Back then, she'd told me how much it hurt seeing me suffer and swore she'd never let me go through that kind of pain again.

Now, she was telling me I deserved it.

It took me a long moment before I could finally find my voice.

"Kate, let's get divorced," I croaked. "I'll take Sadie and leave. I'll give the two of you what you want."