Chapter 1

Sadie's POV

The flowers slipped from my hands, white petals scattering across the ground.

My whole body shook. All I could hear was a deafening ringing in my ears.

It was all a fake set and a hired actress. Three years of penance and remorse, and every bit of it had been a lie.

I'd been so close to letting it go. Just minutes ago, I even softened toward the woman I thought was Wendy Blair, sitting behind the glass, and said, "I'm pregnant, so this is a fresh start. I won't be coming back anymore. Stay here and serve your time."

I stood frozen in place, trembling silently, barely daring to breathe. The guard who'd slipped away earlier came hurrying back, wiping sweat from his temple.

"There was an incident with one of the inmates. I had to step in."

I listened to his flimsy excuse and almost laughed. The visitation hall had its own dedicated staff. They didn't need him for anything. But I'd spent three years in such a fog that I'd never once noticed the cracks in the act.

After signing out, I walked slowly out of the prison and parked my car nearby, out of sight. Before long, a group of people came out laughing. The Wendy look-alike was among them, still in her prison uniform, flipping through a stack of cash and counting it.

My heart sank like a stone.

I pulled up my private investigator's number and called. "I need you to look into Wendy Blair. Get me everything about where she is right now."

He went quiet for a moment. "Didn't you tell me three years ago that she was locked up? You called off the whole thing and said to stop watching her and your husband. So why…"

He trailed off, but he understood. It didn't take long for him to send everything over.

Wendy had a private social media account documenting every moment of her life with Brock over the past three years. There she was starting fresh at a new hospital, with Brock right there to celebrate. Then she moved into a new place, with Brock taking her on trips.

And at the very end, Wendy had the baby, and Brock threw a lavish first birthday party for the child.

I stared at the photo of her holding the baby, Brock's arm around them both, and the pain hit so hard I could barely breathe. But I kept scrolling, punishing myself, until the comments stopped me cold.

My best friend, the one who'd spent three straight days cursing Wendy's name alongside me, had wished her congratulations. "My godson is finally turning one! Godma's sending a gift for sure!"

My brother, the one who'd helped me plaster the hospital with flyers exposing Wendy's affair, was beside himself. "Congrats, Brock! Sounds like there's going to be another little doctor in the family."

My parents, who'd pulled me back from the edge every time I'd nearly gone over it, commented too. "You and Wendy are a perfect match. Wishing your family nothing but happiness."

Coworkers and friends who'd once urged me to move on had all liked the post, leaving well-wishes of their own. Every single person in my life knew the truth. And every single one of them chose to keep it from me.

I sat there reading the comments for a long time, so long that when Brock's call finally came through, it took me a second to register it.

"Why aren't you home yet? Did something happen during the visit?"

His voice was warm and caring as always, but there was a faint undercurrent of tension that I might not have caught before.

I kept my voice even. "No. Everything went fine. But Brock, I'm not going back anymore."

The relief in his voice was instant, almost giddy. "I'm glad you've finally come around. She got what she deserved, and it's time for you to move on."

I pressed my lips together, a bitter taste in my mouth.

Right. I got what I deserved. And it was time to move on.