Chapter 1

On the Fourth of July, I went to the law firm to bring dinner to Garrett Brooks while he was working overtime.

Instead, I walked in on him feeding a piece of shrimp to another woman, mouth to mouth.

His colleagues stood around, cheering and whistling.

“Attorney Brooks and his lady are so in love! Give her another kiss!”

I walked into the office, set down the takeout container, and started clapping along with them.

Garrett chased after me into the hallway, his face dark with annoyance. “As a lawyer’s wife, can’t you be a little more gracious?”

“Cynthia Shaw is my client. She just got away from an abusive ex, and she can’t handle emotional triggers right now.”

If this had happened in the past, I would have screamed, demanded answers, and made a huge scene right there in his office.

Now, I simply looked at him, smiled, and said, “Sure.”

1

When Garrett came to pick me up at the hospital, the emergency room nurse had just finished bandaging my forehead.

Last night, he sent me a text saying he had to work late all week and would sleep on the couch at his firm.

Since it was a holiday, I spent hours cooking his favorite meal and drove over to surprise him.

That was when I caught him and Cynthia feeding each other in his office.

His elegant hands had peeled that shrimp with such gentle care.

A long time ago, Garrett used to peel shrimp for me, too.

That memory felt so distant it belonged to another lifetime.

On my dazed walk back to my car, I was hit by a reckless driver and slammed my head against the pavement.

Now, Garrett walked over with a worried expression, asking the nurse about my injuries.

He stroked my bruised forehead and asked softly, “Babe, are you feeling any better?”

In the past, even a shred of his concern would have made my heart soar.

Now, all I could smell on his suit was a sickening scent of green tea perfume.

Nausea churned in my stomach. I subtly leaned away and gave him a brief nod.

Seeing my silence, Garrett took my cold hand and rubbed it against his cheek.

His voice turned pleading. “I’m sorry I couldn’t eat dinner with you tonight.”

“Just be more careful next time you cross the street. Don’t get hit by a car again.”

Remembering the nurse’s discharge instructions, he told me to go wait in the car while he picked up my prescription.

While he was inside the pharmacy, his phone on the passenger seat vibrated relentlessly.

My head pounded with a sharp ache. I reached over to silence it, only to see Cynthia’s name flashing on the screen.

Before I could think, my finger slid across the glass and answered the call.

A sweet, coquettish voice immediately purred through the speaker.

“Attorney Brooks, what do you want to eat tomorrow? I can make it from scratch for you.”

Before I could say a word, an arm reached through the open window and snatched the phone away.

Garrett’s elbow struck me hard across the bridge of my nose.

“Lily, haven’t I told you a million times not to touch my phone?!”

I clutched my nose as warm, sticky blood gushed through my fingers. The throbbing pain made me gasp.

Garrett muttered a quick apology into the phone, saying he would call her right back.

He yanked the car door open with barely concealed fury and pulled me out onto the sidewalk.

“Are you an idiot? You saw my arm coming and didn’t even move!”

“You deserve this pain. Now I have to drag you back inside to get patched up again.”

I have a low platelet count, so any untreated wound can bleed dangerously out of control.

I ended up right back in the emergency room, letting the nurse stop the heavy bleeding.

Seeing me wince in pain, Garrett finally softened his tone.

He asked the nurse to be gentle and whispered that everything was going to be fine.

Ten minutes later, the bleeding stopped, and we got back into his car to drive home.

I opened the glove box to grab a tissue, and a small velvet jewelry box tumbled into my lap.

I picked it up, opened the lid, and found a pair of matching couple rings engraved with their initials.

A flash of guilt crossed Garrett’s face before he forced an unnatural smile.

“Cynthia gave me those to celebrate winning her divorce settlement. I couldn’t just turn down a gift.”

I placed the velvet box back into the glove compartment and said calmly, “They look nice.”

My lack of reaction caught Garrett completely off guard.

He stared at me with wide, confused eyes. “You’re not mad?”

I wiped the dried blood from my fingers. “Why would I be? It was a thoughtful gesture from someone who appreciates your work.”

“You have a great relationship with your client. I should be happy for you.”

I looked him straight in the eye and offered a faint, polite smile.

The old Lily would have thrown those rings out the window and screamed until her lungs gave out.

Now, my heart was completely still. I even reminded him to buy her a thank-you gift in return.

He pressed his lips together, wanting to say something, but slammed on the brakes as an accident blocked the road ahead.