Chapter 1

[Bella's POV]

When I heard Brian Dicht's familiar, gentle voice, I instinctively bit my lip. I tested the waters and said softly, "Brian, I think my stomach's acting up. Can you come home and stay with me tonight?"

There were a few seconds of silence on the other end of the line. Then, he said, "I'm sorry, Bella. There's some urgent stuff to attend to at the office. Have the maids make you some soup. If it still hurts, there's an antacid in the medicine cabinet."

The call was cut off without hesitation, and the huge living room sank back into silence.

I'd been with Brian for five years, and I'd always believed our love would stand strong, no matter what. He remembered that I didn't eat onions, remembered the dates of my period, remembered I needed warm milk when I stayed up late rushing design drafts, and remembered my quirks and habits.

Our wedding was in just a few days.

I kept telling myself this was all just a coincidence. However, when I opened that social media post again, the new comments made my heart clench tightly.

"If you don't believe me, that's your problem. No matter how 'devoted' a man is, deep down he's still ruled by what's below his waist. They're getting married in a few days, but he's still coming over to be with me tonight.

"By the way, he used his connections to quietly get his girlfriend laid off at work. Why? So I could take her spot. She's unemployed now, and he only gives her 20,000 dollars a month. I get 100,000 dollars."

I stared fixedly at those words. My mind replayed the scene from last week after I got fired. HR only said it had been a decision from upper management, and they gave me no other explanation. Out of the entire department, I was the only one who was let go.

I'd stumbled home in a daze. Brian had held me and whispered comfort into my ear. "It's okay. I'll give you 20,000 dollars every month from now on, so you don't even have to work anymore. I hate seeing you so exhausted."

I told him I had my own dreams and a career I cared about. I didn't want to be some pet he kept in a gilded cage.

He had just smiled, and his words had sounded so sincere. "I have plenty of money, anyway. Whatever you want, I can give it to you. Everything I have is for you and you alone."

Only for me, huh?

I tapped into the profile of this young woman named Evelyn Beech with trembling hands. The first thing I saw was a photo. It was captioned, "Day 362 of being spoiled by Daddy. We went to the amusement park today! He's in line getting me ice cream."

In the picture, a tall man stood at the end of a line. I only needed a single glance to be 100% sure it was Brian.

I kept scrolling.

"Day 300 of being spoiled by Daddy. They got engaged today, and I picked out the ring. He gave me the matching band and said he wants us to be together forever, too!"

To this day, I could remember the way Brian looked when he slid that engagement ring onto my finger. He'd kissed the back of my hand, and his eyes had been full of tender warmth. He'd said, "Bella, we'll be together forever. We'll never be apart."

It turned out he'd said the exact same words to another woman.

"Day 198 of being spoiled by Daddy. He took me to a concert! I could never get tickets before, but he pulled some strings and got them. He even got me a signed poster. I was so thrilled I almost cried!"

The picture showed two ticket stubs for my favorite singer's concert.

I remembered how crushed I'd been when I couldn't snag any tickets. Brian had said he would try to figure something out, and I'd waited with a heart full of hope. In the end, nothing had come of it. Clearly, it hadn't been a challenge for him. He'd just chosen to give the tickets to Evelyn instead.

The more I read, the harder I trembled. My finger flew down the screen until I hit the last entry.

"Met a total hottie at the bar today—he's definitely some rich big shot. He looked heartbroken, though. If his girlfriend doesn't know how to cherish him, then she can't blame me for stepping in!"

The date was the exact day Brian and I had had a huge fight.

I couldn't hold it in anymore. I hurled my phone to the floor and broke down in tears. Five years of devotion, trust, and love had shattered into dust in an instant.

He'd personally destroyed my job and wrecked all my career plans for a woman he'd known for only a year. He'd even given part of our engagement ring set to her.

I cried until my eyes were swollen and burning. Through my blurred vision, I caught sight of the engagement ring that was still on my finger. I slid it off and tossed it straight into the trash without a second thought.

Then, I picked up my phone and recorded every single thing on Evelyn's account, making sure every detail was saved.

I didn't sleep a wink that night. When Brian came home the next day, he was still the same gentle, considerate man he'd always been. He was carrying my favorite strawberry cheesecake.

"Babe, I brought you that cake you love from your favorite place," he said.

When I stayed quiet, he just assumed I was sulking. He continued cajolingly, "There really was an emergency at work last night. I'm not going anywhere tonight. I'll stay home and keep you company, okay?"

As he spoke, his hands suddenly paused in the middle of unboxing the cake. His gaze fell on my bare ring finger. "Babe, where's your ring?"

"It's gone," I said flatly.

Brian frowned, thinking I'd just lost it by accident. However, when he saw how red and puffy my eyes were, he only sighed. "It's okay. Don't be upset. We're getting married in a few days, anyway, so you can just wear the wedding band then."

I pressed my lips together and didn't respond. I just stared straight into his eyes and asked pointedly, "Brian, is there anything you've been hiding from me?"