Chapter One

"Your husband is cheating on you."

The words, scrawled in ink, stared up at Selene from the note she found on the porch. She hadn’t even had time to finish her morning coffee before her world began to fall apart. Just ten minutes ago, she kissed Cole goodbye as he left for work, not knowing everything was about to change.

She took a deep breath to calm herself, but the thought of eating was long gone. Shifting on the high stool, her eyes returned to the note as her heartbeat picked up.

"The other woman is not your enemy, as you might think. She’s close."

The next line hit her harder than the first.

Her breathing grew faster, close to panic, and her eyebrows lifted in shock. She didn’t want to believe the words, but her trembling hands gave her away.

"Today’s your third wedding anniversary, right? She’ll be there."

The next line hit like a punch to the gut. Selene's heart pounded as she gasped.

"It can't be," she muttered to herself, dropping the note.

Her gaze snapped to the door. She rushed over, flinging it open, her eyes scanning the porch and the street beyond for any sign of who might have left the note, but there was nothing. No clues. No one.

With a heavy sigh of resignation, she stepped back into the kitchen and sank into her seat.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, her eyes returned to the note, her heart sinking as she continued reading.

"It’s not a one-time thing. It’s been going on for two years. Sadly, most of your acquaintances know. The restaurant downtown, right? She’ll be there tonight.

What will you do now that you know the truth, Selene Ward?"

Selene's fingers curled tightly around the edge of the table, grounding herself. Is this real?

The words in the note repeated in her head, memories flashing in and out. But she could no longer trust them. The good times felt fake. The memories no longer felt safe.

"I should call Cole. Maybe this is all a prank. He can be so unserious at times," she said, reaching for her phone on the granite countertop.

Her fingers slid across the screen until she found his name, saved as "My Favorite Person." It had been Cole’s idea to create matching nicknames during the first few months of their marriage, a sweet gesture that made her smile even now.

But as she hovered over the call button, her fingers hesitated, trembling heavily.

"My favorite person," she whispered, the words tasting bittersweet on her tongue.

Her heart ached, not just from the note, but the ache of not knowing what the truth was.

She wiped her face, taking a shaky breath. "This can't be true, Selene. Why should you trust a total stranger's words?"

Still trying to calm down, she was pulled from her thoughts by loud knocks at the door. Her heart started beating fast again, a mix of anxiety and curiosity flooding her senses. Who could it be?

Maybe it was the person who sent her the note?

Wiping away her tears, she made her way to the door, ready to confront whatever lay beyond the incessant knocking.

To her surprise, a delivery man stood on the other side. His olive green eyes and tan skin suggested Italian descent, and he wore a polite smile.

"Miss, I have a package for you," he said, his tone friendly.

Selene's gaze dropped to the bouquet he held, and she stumbled back, her back hitting the door frame.

"Please, get that away from me!" she shrieked, pointing at the flowers as panic surged through her.

The delivery man looked perplexed, his brows furrowing and eyes widening in surprise. He took a few steps back, clearly taken aback by her reaction.

"A Mr. Cole Harrington ordered this, ma'am," he replied after a moment of silence, the words hanging in the air.

"What? Cole Harrington made that order?" Selene's voice trembled with disbelief.

The delivery man nodded.

Without another word, Selene dashed back inside, racing to the kitchen. Grabbing her phone from the granite counter, she saw a missed call from Cole. She dialed back immediately.

The moment the call connected, Cole’s charming voice filled the line. "Hey, my beautiful woman, did you see what I got you?"

"Cole, you sent me flowers?" Selene’s voice shook.

"Yeah, the delivery man must have arrived," he replied, excitement evident. "I remember you mentioning wanting a bouquet of Iris this week. And it’s an early gift to mark our second year anniversary."

Selene’s heart clenched. "Third year, Cole. It's our third year anniversary," she corrected, her voice barely above a whisper, laced with hurt as she pressed her lips together.

A silence hung between them, thick and suffocating, as if something precious had slipped away unnoticed, as if a beloved had passed on.

After a beat, Cole spoke, trying to ease the tension. "I'm so sorry for forgetting, sweetie. But I’m just happy to have spent three amazing years with you. I hope the Irises make up for my silly mistake."

Selene nodded to herself repeatedly. Her hand shook as she held the phone to her ear, struggling to find the right words. Her mouth slightly opened.

"C—Cole?" she finally managed, her voice fragile and broken.

"Yes, sweetie?" he answered, blissfully unaware of the shift in her tone.

"I—I'm allergic to Irises." The words came out in a painful whisper.

And then, there was silence.

A long, agonizing silence. It stretched for what felt like an eternity, though only two minutes passed.

Cole's nervous laugh broke through, revealing more truth than words ever could.

"Then who was it that told me they wanted Irises? It must’ve been a mistake, my love. I’ll make things right, I promise. Just give me a second chance," he pleaded, his voice desperate.

"What are your favorite flowers again?" He added.

A sharp pain tore through Selene’s chest as her face tightened, turning red with the weight of her emotions.

She gasped, a pitiful laughter escaping her lips.

"Roses, or Forget-me-nots, Cole," she whispered. "My favorite flowers are Roses, or Forget-me-nots." Her voice cracked, and she shook her head in denial.

"Right, Roses… or Forget-me-nots. I’m sorry, sweetheart. It’s been such a hectic week... You know I love you, right? I’ll make it right."

Selene didn’t reply. She only whispered, “Okay,” and ended the call.

Her eyes lingered on the note resting on the counter.

“Mara,” she whispered, suspicion curling in her gut.

Mara had been acting strange lately. Too attentive. Too eager. The new assistant with a fake smile and an even faker sense of boundaries. Selene had caught her staring at Cole once, the kind of stare that didn’t belong in an office. But Mara was harmless. Or so she thought.

Her phone buzzed.

A calendar reminder lit up the screen, followed by an old photo on her screen saver. The three of them on her wedding day. Cole, Scarlett, and her, all smiles.

Selene’s throat tightened.

“Scarlett?” she whispered as her eyes narrowed.

Her mind flashed to that night at Belladonna. Weeks before.

She hadn’t meant to go there. A client had changed the venue last minute. But the moment she stepped in, her eyes locked on them. Cole and Scarlett. Tucked away in a corner booth, candles flickering between them. Their hands were intertwined, gazes soft and full of something that didn’t look like friendship.

Cole’s fingers were tracing Scarlett’s slowly, tenderly.

Selene had approached them calmly.

“Surprised to see you two here,” she said.

They sprang apart instantly. Cole’s knee hit the table and red wine splashed onto the floor as they both rose to their feet.

“You startled us,” he said, flustered.

She tilted her head. “What are you doing here, Cole?”

“Uhmm… A... well... a... uhm… a guy! Stood Scarlett up on their date so she called me.”

Scarlett nodded vigorously. “Yeah. I-I called him because I didn’t want to be alone.”

“And I came running with irises,” Cole added, holding up a bouquet. “Her favorite flower. Because a friend of my wife is a friend of mine.”

Selene had laughed with them. Had even believed it. Like the fool she was.

Now, standing in her kitchen, her gaze drifted back to her phone which was still lit up.

Her heart dropped as her eyes widened in realization.

“It was you, wasn’t it?” she whispered.