Chapter 1

My husband was driving me to have brunch with my best friend when I found a used condom and an earring tucked into the gap of the passenger seat.

I arrived at the restaurant feeling like a ghost. My best friend greeted me with a radiant smile and a warm hug.

However, the sight of the single earring dangling from her ear felt like a blade piercing through my heart.

I didn't make a scene. That very night, I climbed into the bed of my husband's most powerful rival.

Later, Arthur Sterling roared with bloodshot eyes, demanding to know why I did it.

I simply leaned into the arms of the man beside me and offered a thin smile.

"There are plenty of people getting heated in the passenger seat, Arthur. You aren't the only one."

......

When I discovered that used condom in the crevice of the seat, my entire body froze. My brain went completely blank.

Arthur and I had been together for ten years.

We fell in love during our prime, becoming each other's most cherished memories from those youthful years.

Even the distance during college couldn't tear us apart. Through thousands of days and nights, we bridged the gap of three thousand miles with phone calls.

I would sob on one end of the line. He would listen in silence, his own eyes turning red with suppressed emotion.

No one believed in us. The entire internet seemed to be rooting against long-distance relationships.

But on the day of my graduation, he showed up at the ceremony. In front of everyone, he dropped to one knee and pulled out a ring that had cost him every penny of his savings.

The afternoon sun was beautiful that day. Yet, in my eyes, Arthur shone brighter than the sun itself.

Back then, his eyes were brilliant and filled with unwavering determination as he looked at me.

"Nora, every day since I met you has been a struggle of longing. Only you can make me feel such a mix of pain and sweetness."

"The thought of you being absent from my future fills me with absolute terror."

"I know proposing now might seem impulsive, maybe even irresponsible..."

"But all I want right now is to be with you forever. Nora Vance, will you marry me?"

I don't remember exactly how the ring slid onto my finger. I only remember the cheers from my classmates and the tears streaming down my face.

I remember Arthur holding me tight, whispering a promise into my ear.

"I will treat you well for the rest of my life. Trust me."

I believed him.

That trust lasted for five years.

We got married right after graduation and became the golden couple of our social circle.