Chapter 1

1

A new first-grader arrived in my classroom today, and the resemblance between her and my husband was striking.

While chatting with her mother, I learned her father was named Gavin Cross.

The problem was, my husband's name was also Gavin Cross. Letter for letter.

Later, when I went to confront him and demand a divorce, I caught him celebrating an anniversary with another woman.

That was when reality hit me. We had never actually filed a marriage certificate.

Turns out, I was just Gavin's dirty little secret all along.

......

"Miss Cole, please take good care of Cece for me."

I looked at the little girl standing in front of me, forcing a polite smile onto my face.

It was not because of anything she did. It was just that her eyes and brows looked so painfully like my husband.

They looked just like my own child's, too.

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

"Could you please fill in the basic information for you and your husband here?"

The woman took the form, picked up a pen, and began writing.

I watched her write down her name, "Madeline Ford."

Right beneath it, she wrote her husband's name, "Gavin Cross."

A sudden chill ran down my spine.

My husband was also named Gavin Cross, identical down to the last letter.

How could such a bizarre coincidence exist in this world?

My heart pounded frantically in my chest as Madeline continued writing down their details.

Every piece of information she wrote, from his age to his occupation, matched my husband completely.

Madeline finished filling out the sheet and handed it back to me while I stood there frozen.

"Miss Cole, my daughter is a bit shy, so she might need a little extra patience."

My hands trembled as I took the form. "Of... of course. It's my job."

Madeline noticed my unusual reaction and asked with concern, "Miss Cole, why are you sweating so much? Is it too hot in here?"

I quickly grabbed my cup and took several large gulps of water. "A... a little bit, yes."

After drinking, I tried my best to steady my racing thoughts before speaking again. "Mrs. Cross, could I see a photo of your husband? Just so we can recognize him if he comes to pick her up after school."

Madeline immediately took out her phone and turned the screen toward me.

"These are all pictures of my husband. We actually take a lot of photos together."

Every picture she showed me was a couple's photo.

She eagerly introduced each one to me.

"This was on our honeymoon. This was right after Cece was born. And this one was taken just last week for Cece's birthday."

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

I could see his face clearly. The man in the picture and my husband, Gavin Cross, were the exact same person.

I listened to Madeline's cheerful voice like a hollow shell.

When she swiped to the final picture, all the strength drained from my body, and my hand slipped.

The phone crashed onto the floor.

Madeline picked it up, looking at my cold sweat and trembling body in utter confusion. "Miss Cole, are you alright?"

I dug my fingernails deep into the palm of my hand, desperate to force myself to stay calm. "You two look so sweet together."

Hearing that, a blissful smile spread across Madeline's face.

"We've known each other since childhood, and we've been married for eight years now. Yet he still loves me just as deeply as day one."

The smile on my face froze completely.

Gavin and I had been together for six years, which was less than half of their time together.

I had been tricked for six long years, living as Gavin's shameful, hidden mistress without ever knowing it.

After sending Madeline off, I requested emergency leave from the principal and went straight home.

The house was empty. Gavin had told me earlier that he was swamped with work and would not be coming home often.

I lifted my eyes and saw the wedding portrait hanging on our living room wall.

A wave of dizziness washed over me, making the past feel like nothing more than a ridiculous illusion.

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

Back then, I had no clear plan for my future, so I decided to go on a solo graduation trip to Sedona, Arizona.

That was where I met Gavin.

We were both traveling alone and staying at the same bed-and-breakfast, so striking up a conversation felt completely natural.

That evening, the host invited all the guests to a backyard bonfire party.

We had such a wonderful time that night that after the fire died down, we went to a local lounge to listen to indie music.

It felt as though we had known each other forever, talking endlessly about everything under the sun.

He told me he came on this trip because the pressure from his family was suffocating him.

His entire life had been dictated by his parents' demands, and he had never once lived for himself.

Having majored in psychology, I could not help but share some comforting words with him.

Those brief words seemed to touch him deeply, and we spent the rest of the trip by each other's side.

When the vacation ended, we parted ways without even exchanging phone numbers or social media.

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

He was buying a strawberry shortcake.

When I asked him who it was for, he said it was for his younger sister.

We exchanged contacts right on the spot.

From that day forward, we texted every day and went on dates every weekend.

Naturally, we fell deeply in love.

Every single day after that was filled with sweet romance.

Yet, he never introduced me to his family, his friends, or his colleagues.

Aside from knowing the man standing in front of me, I knew next to nothing about his actual life.

He traveled frequently for business, sometimes disappearing for an entire day without sending a single text.

My best friend always warned me that something felt off about him and told me to be careful.

But I was too blinded by love to ever doubt a single word Gavin said.

Looking back now, I was truly, pitifully naive.