Chapter 1

Xander's POV

My stepmother, Emily Brown, cried joyfully, "That's wonderful! Then I'll help you wipe all the information under the name 'Xander Fisher', okay?"

I nodded, my voice thick with emotion as I replied, "Alright. Thanks, Emily."

The name "Xander Fisher" was the name I took when I cut ties with my family, choosing to take my wife's surname instead.

But now, it had become a stain I had to go to great lengths to erase.

When I got home, I found a candlelit dinner—prepared by my wife, Wendy Fisher—waiting for me the moment I walked in.

It seemed she hadn't forgotten after all.

Today was a very special anniversary for us.

Ten years ago, I was in a car accident and fighting for my life. I had a rare blood type, and for some reason, the blood bank was in short supply.

To save me, who was on the verge of dying, Wendy nearly drained all the blood she had.

From then on, I ignored everyone's objections and devoted myself completely to her.

Wendy greeted me affectionately and pointed proudly at the table full of dishes. "Look, honey. Now do you know why I didn't answer your calls?"

Ever since her career took off, Wendy had rarely cooked for me. She had even once said, "I only cook for one person, and that's Xander Fisher."

The reason why she cooked for me herself today was probably out of guilt.

Either way, it no longer mattered.

Just then, I remembered how, over the past ten years, Wendy had gotten used to using all kinds of surprises as an excuse for not answering my calls or replying to my messages.

On my way home, I had scrolled through the Instagram profile of her assistant, Blaine Adams.

Nine months ago, he had posted a photo of a pregnancy test report. That day also happened to be my and Wendy's wedding anniversary.

At that time, I hadn't been able to reach Wendy for an entire day. It wasn't until 11:30 pm that she finally came home in a flurry.

"I'm sorry, honey. I was at Mount Serpentine getting this blessed chain when I accidentally fell down the stairs."

She removed the cross necklace from me and replaced the chain.

Ten years ago, after donating blood to save me, Wendy had gone to an abbey at Mount Serpentine and gotten this crystal cross pendant.

It was just an ordinary pendant, but later on, I had it made into a matching pair. So then, we each had one.

Although it wasn't worth much, I treasured it deeply.

And now, it had become nothing more than an excuse for her lies.

Seeing my pale face, Wendy quickly helped me to the couch and sat me down. "Honey, is it another headache bothering you? I'm sorry. I didn't realize you weren't feeling well…"

I quietly watched Wendy, searching her eyes for even the slightest hint of deceit.

But there was none. She was genuinely worried about me and feeling sorry for me.

However, the more sincerely she loved me, the more confused I became. How could she love me while also liking someone else?

Before I could answer, Wendy's phone chimed. After reading the text, she gave a faint smile unknowingly. She didn't even seem to realize she was doing it.

It wasn't until she looked up and caught my strange expression that she finally snapped back to reality.

"Honey, you go ahead and eat first. I'm going out right now to buy you medicine!"

With that, she hurried out without even grabbing her coat.

Picking up my phone, I scrolled through Instagram and saw that Blaine had posted something five minutes earlier.