Chapter 1

Seven years into our marriage, I found records of Julian and his intern checking into a hotel on his phone.

It was 3 AM. I sat on the closet floor, clutching the luxury scarf he'd brought back from his business trip.

The packaging had a label from a Fifth Avenue boutique, but his credit card statement showed no such purchase.

The shower in the bathroom stopped. I quickly locked his phone screen, which he'd forgotten to close, revealing SnapChat.

The latest message was a voice note from Chloe, "Julian, no more bites on the neck. It's asking for trouble at the office."

In the background, I heard the familiar ticking of the watch I'd given him last month.

"Still awake?" Julian walked out, toweling his hair dry, water still clinging to his abs.

My eyes caught the fresh scratches across his collarbone. And then I remembered the medical report from earlier that day.

My CA125 levels were soaring, a red flag for gynecological tumors.

He leaned in to kiss me, but I turned my head, dodging him. "You said you were in Seattle last week for a meeting?"

"Yeah, discussing a project with Mr. Thompson."

He answered quickly, his fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of his phone.

That was his tell when he lied.

How pathetic. The boy who once stood up for me now couldn't even bother to change his excuses for cheating.

My phone buzzed. Chloe had sent an ultrasound image: "Mrs. Julian, what do you think the baby should call you when it's born? Auntie or Mommy?"