Chapter 1

I was working late at the office when I stumbled upon a bathroom selfie my wife, Natalie, had just posted.

In the reflection of the steamed glass, I noticed the faint outline of a man standing behind the shower door.

My blood ran cold. Had an intruder broken into our house?

Panicked, I immediately dialed her number, but nobody answered.

A few minutes later, she called back. Her voice sounded breathless and drowsy.

"Babe, what is it? I was already half-asleep. Don't work too late, okay?"

Hearing her calm voice, I let out a sigh of relief and assumed I had been seeing things.

When I finally got home at midnight, I noticed my electric razor on the vanity had been moved.

Just then, Natalie's phone lit up on the nightstand with a new text from her personal trainer, Brock.

"I miss you already. Same time tomorrow, beautiful."

Before I could grab her phone to take a photo of the screen, our five-year-old son, Leo, quietly tiptoed into the bathroom.

He grabbed my razor, slammed it onto the tile floor, and stomped on it with all his might until it cracked into pieces.

......

1

The next afternoon, I texted Natalie that I had back-to-back meetings, but I left the office early.

I sat in a coffee shop across from her gym, my hands trembling around a paper cup.

I desperately wanted to believe she was innocent, but the razor, the reflection, and that text kept haunting me.

I had to see the truth with my own eyes.

When Leo was born, Natalie suffered from severe postpartum depression.

She hated her changing body and spent days locked in our bedroom, crying.

I was terrified of losing her, so I handed all my major client accounts to my assistant and stayed home around the clock to care for her and the baby.

We lost millions in revenue, but seeing her smile again made it all worth it.

Back then, she had hugged me with tears in her eyes and whispered sweet promises.

"Thank you, Austin. You are the best husband in the world. I love you, and we're going to be together forever."

I had chuckled and playfully replied, "What if you fall out of love with me one day? I'll have to let you go."

Natalie had glared at me in mock anger. "Don't you dare say that. I will only ever love you."

Remembering those words now felt like a cruel joke.

An hour later, the gym doors opened. Natalie walked out holding Leo's hand, with Brock strolling right beside them carrying her gym bag.

They looked just like a picture-perfect, happy family.

I told myself to stay calm. Maybe he was just giving them a ride.

I followed their car to a nearby shopping center. When only Natalie and Leo got out, I breathed a faint sigh of relief.

They headed straight for the toy store, where Natalie smiled warmly. "Pick whatever you want, sweetie. Mommy will buy it."

I watched from a distance, trying to convince myself I was just being paranoid.

A second later, Brock caught up with them and slid his arm smoothly around Natalie's waist.

"Found anything good yet?" he asked, leaning down to Leo. "Tell Uncle Brock what you like, buddy. I'll buy it for you."

I stood frozen in the aisle, my knuckles turning white and my vision blurring with rage.

Brock leaned down and kissed Natalie deeply on the lips.

Natalie giggled, lightly pushing his chest with a coquettish pout.

"Be careful! We're out in public."

"What if someone recognizes us and tells Austin?"

Brock scoffed arrogantly. "What does that loser know? All he does is work. He never spends time with you or Leo anyway."

Leo, clutching a brand-new race car, nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah! I don't want him as my daddy anymore. He never plays with me. I wish you were my real daddy, Uncle Brock."

Hearing those words felt like plunging into an icy lake.

Was that really my son? He was nothing more than an ungrateful little monster.

I gave them a life of luxury. Even when work was overwhelming, I never missed a single birthday or anniversary.

Yet to them, it was never enough.

Natalie frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Austin treats me well. I'm not divorcing him."

Brock looked annoyed, but he backed off when he saw her stern face. "Fine, fine. I was just saying."

Leo tugged at Brock's sleeve to comfort him.

"Don't worry, Uncle Brock. You'll be my daddy soon. My teacher said a happy family is where Mommy and Daddy love each other."

Natalie pulled Leo back, her tone sharp. "Leo! Your father loves you. Who taught you to say that?"

Leo's eyes welled with tears as he yelled back, "I don't care! I hate the daddy at home! I want Uncle Brock! He plays with me every day and buys me cool toys!"

Furious, Natalie raised her hand to discipline him, but Brock quickly stepped in between them.

"He's just a kid, Nat. Don't take it to heart. Come on, let's go get some ice cream."

Just like that, the three of them walked off arm in arm, laughing together.