Chapter 1

I was just about to drive back to the boutique when I got a call from my sister, Lola Graham.

"What? The new trainee, Kayla Larson, claims she's the shop owner's wife?"

I laughed and shook my head. "Didn't you tell her you're my sister?"

Before she could answer, a loud slap sounded through the speaker. Lola's scream followed.

I realized something was wrong and shouted her name into the phone. But all I could hear was Kayla yelling, "This store belongs to my husband! Don't you think I'd know if he had a sister?"

"Miss, let me be honest with you. You've hit a brick wall today," the store manager chimed in with a mocking laugh. "This store belongs to Mr. Carter, and the woman in front of you is his wife! If you didn't want to pay, at least come up with a better excuse."

Their arrogant voices unsettled me.

Just a week earlier, my husband, who had never involved himself in my boutique business, suddenly asked me for a favor on our wedding anniversary.

"One of my neighbor's daughters just graduated from high school and can't find a job. Her mother reached out to me, and for old times' sake, I agreed to help her. Honey, could you let her help out at your boutique?"

Afraid I might refuse, he even held up his hand and swore, "I promise, she's clever and hardworking. You'll be pleased with her."

"Sure," I agreed without hesitation and sent Kayla's information to my trusted store manager.

Now, Lola's call had been cut off. The last thing I heard was Kayla's curses. I ordered the driver to step on it and pulled up the store's surveillance feed.

The footage slowly came into focus. Kayla had pinned Lola beneath her as she repeatedly slapped her.

"You wore our dress without paying! You're stealing! You're a thief!" Kayla screamed. "Trash like you should be punished!"

Lola struggled, but Kayla's brute force overpowered her.

What enraged me most was seeing my store manager, who had worked with me for three years, acting as her accomplice.

She crouched beside Lola and flipped through a ledger. "Mrs. Carter, I did a rough count of the last three months. This bitch took more than a dozen dresses, worth tens of millions."

Her words only fueled Kayla's fury.

She clamped her hands around Lola's throat. "You claim you're my husband's sister? What sister? What's your real relationship with him? How many dresses did you steal before I came to this store?"

The sight made me tremble with rage. Lola's swollen face left me stunned.

I called my husband, Hayden Carter.

I needed to know why the so-called sweet neighbor had turned into a shrew parading around under my name.

The call quickly connected. His tone was light. "Honey, shouldn't you be working on design sketches right now? Why are you calling me? Did you miss me?"

"Hayden, just who is Kayla to you?" I asked after a sharp exhale. "Why is she claiming to be your wife?"

The line went silent. Only his heavy breathing and the hum of the line could be heard.

The silence only served to spike my anger. I pressed, "Answer me, Hayden! Have I been too generous with you? Have I given you so much money and freedom that you can cheat on me?"

He chuckled. "Winnie, do you really have so little trust in me after all these years of marriage? Enough. I don't have time for your jokes. I'm heading into a meeting."

The line went dead. When I tried calling back, all I got was a busy tone.