Chapter 1

Chapter 1

A new student joined my class today. The resemblance between her and my husband was uncanny.

While chatting with her mother, I learned the father's name was Lennon Sterling.

The problem was, my husband's name was also Lennon Sterling. Every single letter matched.

Later, when I went to confront Lennon for a divorce, I found him celebrating a wedding anniversary with someone else.

That was when I realized we had never actually signed a marriage license.

It turned out I was nothing more than Lennon's hidden mistress.

...

"Ms. Holloway, I'll be leaving Cece in your capable hands."

I looked at the little first-grader standing before me. I had to force a smile onto my face.

It wasn't for any professional reason. It was because the girl's eyes and brow were a carbon copy of my husband's.

She looked exactly like my own son.

I pulled a registration form from my desk and handed it to the smiling woman.

"Please fill in the basic information for you and your husband here."

The woman took the form and began to write.

I watched her pen her own name, "Luna Sterling."

Then came her husband's name, "Lennon Sterling."

A sudden, violent shiver ran down my spine.

My husband was also named Lennon Sterling. It wasn't just a common name; it was an identical match.

How could such a coincidence exist in this world?

My heart hammered against my ribs as I watched Luna fill out the rest.

Every detail―his age, his profession―perfectly aligned with my husband's life.

Luna finished the form and handed it back to me while I was still dazed.

"Ms. Holloway, my daughter is a bit shy. Please look out for her."

My hand trembled as I took the paper. "That... that's my job."

Luna noticed my reaction and asked with concern, "Ms. Holloway, you're sweating. Is it too hot in here?"

I grabbed my water bottle and took a long, desperate gulp. "Yes... a little."

After a moment to steady my breathing, I continued. "Cece's mom, do you have a photo of your husband? It helps us recognize him if he comes for pickup."

Luna quickly pulled out her phone and turned the screen toward me.

"These are all photos of him. We actually have a lot of couple photos together."

She showed me a gallery full of their life.

She introduced them with such warmth.

"This was our honeymoon. This was when Cece was born. And this was just last week at her birthday party."

From the very first photo, my body began to shake uncontrollably.

I could see it clearly. The man in those pictures was my Lennon.

He was the exact same man I shared a bed with.

I listened mechanically as Luna kept talking.

By the time she swiped to the last photo, my strength vanished. I lost my grip.

The phone clattered onto the floor.

Luna picked it up, seeing the cold sweat on my forehead and my trembling frame. "Ms. Holloway, what's wrong?"

I couldn't stop the shaking, so I pinched the web of my thumb hard to force myself into focus. "You two look so happy together."

A blissful smile spread across Luna's face.

"We've known each other since we were kids. We've been married for eight years now, and he still treats me like a queen."

My expression froze.

I had known Lennon for six years. I hadn't even been in his life for half of their marriage.

I had been played. For six years, I was his dirty little secret.

After Luna left, I immediately asked the principal for a leave of absence and went home.

The house was empty. Lennon had told me he was too busy with work to come home often lately.

I looked up and saw our wedding photo hanging in the living room.

For a moment, everything felt surreal, like a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.

We met six years ago, right after I graduated from college.

I hadn't decided on a career path yet, so I went on a graduation trip.

My first stop was Sedona, Arizona. That's where I met Lennon.

We were both traveling solo and staying at the same boutique inn. Getting to know each other felt natural.

There was a local bonfire event one night, and the owner invited us.

We had so much fun that we didn't want the night to end, so we went to a dive bar to listen to folk music.

We hit it off instantly. It felt like we had a lifetime of topics to cover.

He told me he was traveling because his family put too much pressure on him.

Since childhood, everything he did was according to his parents' orders. He never got to follow his heart.

I had studied psychology in college, so I couldn't help but offer him some comfort.

Those few deep conversations seemed to spark something in him. We spent the rest of the trip together.

When the trip ended, we parted ways without even exchanging phone numbers.

Two weeks after returning to Chicago, I ran into him again at a bakery.

He was buying a strawberry shortcake.

I was curious who it was for.