Chapter 3

I watched it all, my mind blank.

I watched the light in my bedroom flick on, then off, and couldn't help picturing what was happening inside.

My face was ashen. I didn't dare ask the detective for any more details.

But I already knew exactly what was going on.

Ellie had been with her "boyfriend" for eight years, and I'd been married to Dante for twelve.

That made it the fourth year of my marriage.

The two of them had started their affair.

I never checked Dante's schedule, never questioned where his money went, but now I did the math.

The ring he'd custom-made just for me was worth less than the car he'd ordered for Ellie. Even all his devotion to me over twelve years didn't add up to that one for-show proposal he'd given her.

Now that I looked back, all the little clues came spilling out.

Dante was a rigid, upright sort of man.

He didn't like drifting around parties, but Ellie loved making friends everywhere, and in recent years he'd spent more and more time at them.

He rarely came home, always saying it was for Family business.

He'd guiltily make it up to me with gifts, hoping I'd understand.

Looking back now, it was nothing but the guilt of a man who'd just started cheating.

He told me to my face to keep my distance from Ellie, yet when Ellie got slighted by someone, he'd step in and tear that family apart.

That day he couldn't wait to delete those photos of shirtless men.

He'd been jealous.

I let out a cold laugh, and a sharp pain shot through my belly.

All those years I'd given, wasted for nothing. I took out my phone and snapped a photo of them.

I sat in the car staring at that photo until dawn.

My tears had run dry, my eyes burned, and I couldn't even cry out loud anymore.

I calmly called my lawyer.

I told him to tally up everything in my name, along with whatever I stood to gain from this marriage.

I didn't want to tip them off.

Before going inside, I got myself together.

When I got home, Dante and Ellie were eating breakfast.

Seeing me come in, they froze for a second.

Ellie greeted me too. "Monica, I thought you'd be back, so I came over early to see you."

Dante pulled out a chair for me. "Why are you back so early? Did you sleep okay last night?"

"You were pretty busy last night, weren't you? Didn't get much rest?" My voice was ice cold.

The cigar in Dante's hand trembled, and he gave me a gentle smile. "I don't sleep well when you're gone. Look, I've even got dark circles."

The exhaustion under his eyes was plain to see, and watching it, my chest ached dully.

All I could do was force myself to act like I knew nothing.

This marriage had reached its end, but I couldn't walk away with nothing. I had to keep an absolutely clear head.

"I only sleep well with you here. Now that you're back, I can relax." Dante wrapped his arms around me from behind.

All I felt was wave after wave of nausea.

Ellie chimed in from the side, her tone laced with mock envy. "It really makes a girl jealous. My boyfriend held me just like that last night."

She showed off the kiss marks on her neck.

Dante gave a couple of involuntary coughs.

I didn't eat breakfast, and after the meal Dante went into his study.

While my lawyer was sorting out my assets, he also drew up the divorce papers.

At the same time, I contacted a private hospital and booked an abortion.

When I went to my room to pack, Ellie didn't trail after me like usual. I had no idea where she'd gone.

I didn't ask.

My tears kept falling as I suddenly came across a safe in the closet. It was Dante's.

He'd said it held the Family's most confidential documents.

I never touched it normally, but for some reason I felt driven to open it.

I tried his phone passcode, but it was wrong. Then I tried my birthday and our anniversary, and none of them worked.

For my last try, I entered Ellie's birthday.

The result stunned me.

The safe opened.

Condom wrappers came tumbling out all over the floor, every one of them torn open, all different brands.

Every single one had been used.

I couldn't count how many there were.

My eyes filled with scalding tears.

Countless days and nights, they'd been together in this very room, in the bed I'd shared with him for twelve years.

Doing this, sneaking around behind my back.

My body gave out, and I crumpled to the floor.

I'd gone almost completely numb.

The lock clicked open, and Dante and Ellie appeared in the doorway. When they saw the scene in front of them, his gaze suddenly froze.

He rushed to explain. "How did you get that open?"

He wore a gentle smile.

"These are from us, don't you remember? I couldn't bring myself to throw them out, so I kept them all."

I let out a cold laugh. He and I hardly ever used them.

And whenever we did, I'd throw them in the trash. I knew exactly how many there'd been these past few years.

I fought back my tears and nodded. "Right."

Dante's face went pale. "You don't believe me?"

I looked up at Ellie. "Why would his passcode be your birthday?"

Ellie gave a stiff smile. "You two have been married so many years, you ought to trust each other. Honestly, Monica, I envy you for having such a devoted husband."

"Didn't you set it to my birthday yourself?"

Her words made me sick.