Chapter 5

HANNAH

I didn’t wait for discharge papers. And I certainly didn’t want Nico to explain why he cheated.

I just left the hospital to get away from him.

When he tried to kiss me, like nothing had happened, I lost it. 

He tasted like lies.

So I wasn’t overthinking these past few days. That lipstick, that strand of blonde hair, they were all proof he was cheating. 

And I was such a fool, making excuses after excuses for him!

I couldn’t stay in the same house with Nico. Not after that. The thought of sleeping under the same roof with him made my stomach turn.

I walked out into the night and hailed a cab. When I told the driver the address, a lump rose in my throat as a wave of overwhelming sadness crashed over me. This had been my home for seven years.

For seven years, we had been the perfect couple. I had long seen him as my one and only source of support in this life. But he betrayed me, so easily.

But I wasn’t Nico’s wife anymore. Not in my heart. 

I was going back, but only to pack my things.

I pushed the door open with my shoulder. I was still in the same clothes I wore at the hospital. I wanted to shower and wash the day off me. 

Instead, I froze.

Our family doctor, Sydney Ramirez, was standing in the living room. She was holding a piece of a red lacy lingerie. Definitely not mine.

For a second, my brain short‑circuited. I just stared at her like maybe there was a camera crew hiding somewhere. A part of me was waiting to yell that I was getting Punk’d. There was no way this was real. 

No way Dr. Ramirez, the woman I trusted with my body, ruined my marriage.

“What the hell is this?” I asked. 

Sydney flinched like a kid caught stealing. She spun around so fast she almost dropped it. “Mrs. Mancini. Wait, please.”

“That’s not mine,” I said, stepping closer. My hands shook. “You better start talking before I lose it.”

Sydney’s eyes darted to the floor. “It’s not what it looks like.”

“Really?” I laughed. “You’re standing in our house holding some woman’s panties. Oh wait, let me guess, they’re yours.”

She opened her mouth but nothing came out.

My mind kept flashing back to our weekly check-ups. The gentle way she used to pat my arm. The way she said, “We’re going to get you pregnant, Hannah. Trust me.”

Trust. Yeah, right.

I threw my keys on the table. “You’ve been sneaking around in my house.”

“Hannah, I didn’t mean for you to find out this way.”

“You didn’t mean for me to — ” My laugh turned into something ugly. “You’re my doctor, Sydney. You’ve been giving me fertility treatments. And then what? You come here when I’m not home and screw my husband in my bed?”

She winced like I’d slapped her. “It just… happened.”

“You just happened to seduce him?” I didn’t care if the maids heard.

She dropped to her knees suddenly. “Hannah, please. I’m sorry. I love him — ”

I stepped back like she’d burned me. “You love him, alright. Snakes deserve each other.”

“Please,” she sobbed. “Hear me out. I swear I didn’t mean for it to happen. I just couldn’t control myself. That night, he was drunk and mistook me for you. I know I should have stopped it, but... but he’s just so captivating. I couldn’t help falling in love with him.”

”Please, can you forgive me? Hannah, I’m so, so sorry.”

I stared at her tear-streaked, contorted face, feeling dazed. Was this really the same Sydney Ramirez I once knew?

She once held my hand when I cried. She adjusted my dosage when I bled. She knew everything from my cycle to my fear of needles.

She knew me inside and out. And still, she chose to fuck my husband.

She was supposed to help me build a family. Yet, she was the one who tore it apart.

God, I trusted her more than I trusted most people. Turned out, she was just another liar in a white coat.

I grabbed my phone and scrolled to my lawyer’s number. My hands still shook, but I hit call.

“Atty. Kelce,” I said when he picked up. “I need you to start drafting a divorce agreement. Tonight.”

There was a pause. “Mrs. Mancini… are you sure?”

“Yes,” I said. “I just found out my husband is cheating on me.”

He exhaled. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll start drafting right away. We’ll need to review details. Assets, accounts, all that. Can you come in tomorrow?”

“Of course,” I said. “Whatever you need.”

“Do you want to file on grounds of infidelity?”

“Yes. And I can provide proof.”

“All right,” he said, his tone steady. “Let’s meet at ten in the morning. We’ll go through everything then.”

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

Just as I hung up the phone, the lock clicked. Nico came in. “Hannah! Thank God, you’re here.” His voice was surprised. “Before you say anything…”

I stood up. “Don’t even start.”

His eyes darted to Sydney. His face went pale.

“You knew,” I said softly. “You let her in here. You gave her the key.”

“Hannah…”

“You two had sex in my bed.” My voice cracked. “After everything we’ve been through?”

He stepped forward. “I was drunk and —”

“Don’t touch me!” I backed away. My hands balled into fists. “I trusted you both, Nico.”

He rubbed his face like he could wipe away the guilt. “Listen to me first.”

“You’re not gonna talk your way out of this.”

He looked desperate now. “Hannah, you don’t understand. I came straight here because I have something to tell you.”

“I don’t care.”

“You need to hear this.”

“I said I don’t —”

“Hannah, listen to me, you’re pregnant!”