Chapter 1

I was working at a high-end language center when a new kid joined my class.

While we were chatting, he bragged that his mom was the famous superstar, Seraphina Rossi.

He said she was gorgeous and incredibly wealthy.

What a coincidence. My wife of seven years is also named Seraphina Rossi, and she is also a superstar.

I contacted her immediately to demand a divorce.

But I had forgotten something crucial. From the very beginning, we never actually signed the marriage papers.

It turned out that I was nothing more than the side piece in someone else's marriage.

1.

"My mommy is the famous Seraphina Rossi. She's got more money and looks than anyone."

"Mr. Sterling, you better teach me well. If you do, my mom will make sure you're taken care of."

The seven-year-old boy in front of me, Leo Crawford, spoke with an insufferable amount of pride.

A loud thud echoed in the room as my phone slipped from my hand and hit the floor. I had been in the middle of texting Seraphina.

My wife's name is Seraphina Rossi. She is a household name, a literal icon.

We have been together for seven years.

Just moments ago, I was messaging her to ask if she would be home for dinner.

My chest felt tight, a dull ache spreading through my lungs, but I forced myself to stay calm.

I told myself it was impossible. It had to be a coincidence.

"Leo... do you have any photos of you and your mom?"

Leo smirked, looking triumphant. "Of course. I grew up in London, and we took tons of pictures together."

He pulled out a sleek smartphone and began scrolling through his gallery.

"This is us at the stables. I love riding horses."

In the photo, Seraphina was smiling beautifully, her arms wrapped around Leo at a private ranch.

He kept scrolling. There weren't just photos of the two of them; there were family portraits.

The pictures were taken inside a sprawling mansion. A young man in a bespoke suit held Leo's hand with one arm and had his other wrapped around Seraphina's waist.

"That's my dad. He's a big deal. He's Silas Crawford, the CEO of the Crawford Group."

Leo kept talking, his voice buzzing in my ears.

Every word he spoke felt like a jagged blade carving into my heart.

I couldn't take it anymore. I reached out and clicked his phone screen off, my heart thumping painfully against my ribs.

"Leo... I don't feel well. I need to head home early."

I struggled to keep my composure as I stumbled toward the exit.

But as I turned the corner, I ran straight into a man dressed in a suit that cost more than my car.

I recognized him instantly. He was the man from the photos.

Leo's father―Silas Crawford.

"Hello, Mr. Sterling. It's Leo's first day of tutoring. How is he settling in?"

Silas adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, looking every bit the powerful executive.

Suddenly, his phone erupted with a FaceTime notification.

The caller ID on the screen simply read: "Wife."

When he swiped to answer, Seraphina's stunning face filled the display.

"Hey, honey. Since you and Leo just got back to the States, I cleared my schedule for tonight. Let's go out for a nice steak dinner."

I felt the blood drain from my face. My entire body turned to ice.

I had been married to Seraphina for seven years.

And yet, here she was, calling another man her husband.

Worst of all, they had a seven-year-old child.

That meant she was already carrying Silas's baby when she walked down the aisle with me.