Chapter 1

Preston smiled and lowered his head, gently brushing aside the loose strands of hair that had fallen across Selene's eyes. "Silly girl, this is our first child. Everyone's going to dote on this baby."

"Yeah, do you like this outfit? Your baby with Preston is going to look beautiful in it."

"This one's nice too, right? Let's just get it. I'm paying."

"You're all buying clothes, so I'll do something different. I'll get the crib."

"Then I'll get the bottles and stroller."

Several of Preston's childhood friends stepped out from behind him, their hands laden with shopping bags.

At the sight, Gwyneth tightened her grip on the tiny outfit in her hands. The blood in her veins slowly turned to ice. For a moment, she wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

She turned to the friend beside her. "Becca, am I hallucinating? I swear I just saw Selene with her arm around Preston, calling him her husband."

Rebecca Lynch knew there was no hiding the truth any longer, so she finally admitted it. "Gwen, actually... Selene and Preston have been together for a long time.

"None of us wanted to tell you, but Selene only found out a few days ago that she's pregnant too.

"Gwen, we're close friends. Can't you just look the other way this once?

"Don't worry, Selene never meant to steal your husband. The baby was an accident, but now that it's happened, once it's born, it can be a playmate for your son."

Gwyneth stared at the woman in front of her, stunned. "Rebecca, do you even hear yourself?"

Rebecca was her best friend, closer to her even than Selene. Yet she had known all along that Selene and Preston were together, that they even had a child on the way, and she had never said a word. Now, she was actually asking Gwyneth to look the other way.

Just as despair threatened to overwhelm her, someone asked, "Pres, Selene's pregnant now, and her belly's only going to keep getting bigger. You can't hide it forever. What are you going to do about Gwyneth?"

Preston held Selene close and lowered his voice. "We'll keep it hidden for as long as we can. At least until Gwen has the baby. She's frail. She can't handle the shock."

"Right. Once the baby's born, Gwyneth won't be able to leave even if she wants to."

"Gwyneth loves Pres so much that even if she finds out, it won't change anything. She might even accept Selene. Two besties serving Pres together. I'm so jealous."

Selene leaned against Preston's chest, her voice tinged with grievance. "I'm a little scared, Pres. What if Gwen can't accept me?"

"Don't worry. As long as I'm here, she won't do anything to you," Preston reassured her.

Gwyneth stared at Preston's tender expression and suddenly felt as though she were looking at a stranger. She was about to step forward and confront him when his phone rang.

"Mom, what is it?"

"Has Selene bought everything she wanted? I transferred her 200,000 dollars. Tell her to spend it however she likes. Don't hold back because of the money. I want the best for my granddaughter."

It was the voice of Preston's mother, Mary Grace, the mother-in-law Gwyneth had devotedly cared for over the past five years.

She had known about Selene and Preston all along?

That very morning, when Gwen had accompanied her to the hospital for rehabilitation therapy, Mary had patted her hand and said, "Gwen, you truly are a wonderful daughter-in-law. If Pres ever dares to wrong you, I'll be the first one to make sure he doesn't get away with it."

Gwyneth's head suddenly spun as waves of darkness clouded her vision. She lost her footing, stumbled back several steps, and crashed into the clothing rack behind her.

In an instant, row after row of racks toppled over.

The commotion immediately drew the attention of everyone outside the store.