Chapter 1

Chapter 1

At our class reunion.

My husband's first love looked him in the eye and asked, "If you could do it all over again, would you marry me?"

My husband gave a firm answer without hesitation. "Yes."

The entire room fell dead silent. Everyone turned to look at me, bracing for my breakdown.

To their surprise, I was the first to clap and smile. "It is not too late to marry her now. Make sure you two do not miss each other this time!"

......

At our year-end high school reunion.

Gemma Cole stared straight at Garrett Upton and asked, "If you could turn back time, would you marry me?"

Garrett answered firmly, "Yes."

The private room went instantly silent.

Our former classmates exchanged glances, their eyes burning with gossip.

Every single person turned their eyes to me, waiting for a dramatic scene.

I calmly took a sip of my wine. It was as if the man professing his undying love had not been my husband for the past seven years.

Then, I stood up and took the lead in applauding.

"It is not too late to tie the knot now. You two better not let each other slip away again!"

The crowd grew even quieter. No one seemed able to understand why a wife would actively cheer on her own husband's affair.

Even Garrett snapped his head up to stare at me, his eyes full of confusion and suspicion.

Right.

He probably assumed I was plotting some scheme.

The class representative quickly jumped in to smooth things over.

"Gemma and Garrett are just joking around. Right, Chloe?"

I ignored him, turned to Garrett and the rest of the table, and spoke clearly.

"I am completely sober. I am already preparing to divorce Garrett. Gemma, do not miss your chance this time."

I cast a mocking look at Gemma.

"Do not run away like you did seven years ago, crying about how you were not good enough for him."

Garrett's face instantly darkened. He furrowed his brows and glared at me with annoyance.

"Are you crazy, Chloe? It was just an innocent joke. Did you really need to throw a tantrum over that?"

I scoffed inwardly.

Garrett had walked all over me for seven long years. Did he really expect me to play along while he flirted with his ex?

If someone wants to be a doormat, let them. I am done.

It was partly my own fault. For seven years, my love had spoiled him to the point where he lost all sense of respect.

Garrett was like an unyielding stone. Despite everything I gave him, Gemma was the only one in his heart.

If I had not stumbled upon his secret three months ago, I might still be clinging to him like a fool.

Three months ago, I found a post Garrett made on a public forum.

"We have been married for seven years. We only got together because our parents arranged it. The spark is completely gone, and this mundane life feels like a dead end. I cannot keep living like this. Two days ago, my first love came back into my life. I want a divorce, but my life and business are too tangled up with my wife's family. What should I do?"

The post was dated a month before I saw it, right when Gemma returned to the city.

He had been planning his exit route all along.

In fact, I had already felt the shift. Garrett used to treat me with at least a shred of gentleness.

Ever since Gemma came back, he lost all patience with me. He even started staying out all night.

After reading that post, I sat on the living room sofa in silence all night.

The clock on the wall ticked relentlessly. I opened my phone and stared at our chat history. My last message asking when he would be home remained unanswered.

Morning came, but Garrett never returned. Instead, he posted an update on social media.

It was a photo of a man and woman watching the sunrise together, captioned: "So glad you are by my side."

Mutual friends assumed the woman in the photo was me and left congratulatory comments. Garrett personally replied to them: "It is not her."

How utterly ridiculous.

He did not even care about saving face anymore, flaunting his intimacy with another woman for everyone to see.

My hands trembled as I zoomed in on the photo. The initials G.C. tattooed on Garrett's wrist were glaringly obvious in the sunlight.

A sharp pain pierced my chest.

Gemma Cole...

I had naively believed that seven years of devotion could make him forget her.

Reality proved me completely wrong.

Seven years only made him yearn for her more.

In his mind, they were soulmates. I was just an intruder who took advantage of their breakup.

Just then, Maisie rubbed her sleepy eyes and stumbled out of her room, calling in her sweet voice.

"Mommy, I am hungry. Where is Daddy?"

Looking at Maisie, warmth finally returned to my frozen body. I forced a smile.

"Daddy will be home later, sweetie. Let Mommy change and make you breakfast."

She was the daughter Garrett and I shared, a precious little girl I had cherished for four years.

After dropping Maisie off at preschool in a daze, I watched her little backpack disappear through the gates.

A surge of reluctance and lingering hope washed over me.

If I really left Garrett, what would happen to Maisie? She was only four.

Maybe Garrett was just catching up with Gemma. After all, we had a child together.

Clinging to that faint hope, I dialed Garrett's number.

His voice came through cold and impatient.

"What do you want, Chloe? Are you checking up on me again? I just watched a sunrise with Gemma. Do you have to be so insecure?"

My heart bled.

I could only stammer, "No, I just wanted to ask if you were busy."

"I am back at the office. Meeting starts soon. If that is all, I am hanging up."

Before I could say another word, the call was abruptly cut off.

I held the phone in a stupor, letting out a bitter laugh.

When did Garrett and I become incapable of exchanging even three sentences?

Was our seven-year marriage really coming to an end? But what about Maisie?

She needed a father.

Convinced by that thought, I decided to take the initiative to fix things.

I bought a box of artisan pastries he loved and drove to his company.

We were husband and wife. It did not matter who gave in first.

That was how I comforted myself.

Yet, the moment I stepped into the lobby, I overheard the employees gossiping.

"Did you see the new partner who came in with the boss?"

"They look so good together, like a match made in heaven."

"Wait, isn't the boss's wife an heiress from the Lewis family? This partner's last name is Cole, right?"

Cole...

The name struck me like a physical blow, making my heart race with dread.

Were they talking about Garrett and Gemma?

My hand holding the pastry box trembled. Fighting back rising panic, I walked up to Garrett's office.

The lights inside were on. Just as I reached for the door handle, voices drifted through the crack.

"Garrett, I never expected this."

It was Gemma's voice.

I froze. Why was she here? What did she mean by arranging a job?

"Garrett, don't mention it. This new venture was founded specifically for you. Y&G Corp―it represents both of our names."

"You have no idea how much I missed you during all these years apart."

Through the glass panel, Gemma wrapped her arms around Garrett, pulling him into a passionate embrace.

I stood frozen in the hallway, unable to move a muscle.