Chapter 1

I pulled a double shift, rushing home just in time for my wife Selina's birthday.

But as I reached the door, I heard her best friend ask a question that stopped my heart.

"Selina, does Lucas still have no idea that you were the one who framed him for being a peeping tom in the girls' restroom back in college？"

Selina's voice was full of pride. "He thinks I'm his savior. Why would he ever suspect me？"

The warmth I felt coming home was extinguished in a heartbeat.

Listening to their laughter inside, I pulled out my phone and dialed a lawyer I knew. 1.

I pushed the door open amidst the sounds of their partying.

The living room was so loud that no one noticed I had walked in.

Selina was curled up intimately in the arms of a man with an expensive aura, her tone smug. "Damian is always the best to me. No matter how busy he is, he makes time for my birthday. Not like Lucas―"

She turned her head casually and saw me.

The moment our eyes met, Selina scrambled to her feet, her expression frantic.

"Luke！ Why are you home so early？"

"I... I was just getting my hair untangled from Damian's button. Don't get the wrong idea."

Damian Sterling stood up too, offering a flimsy explanation.

"Selina and I are just friends, man. Don't blow it out of proportion."

But the triumph in his eyes was impossible to hide.

I forced a smile and nodded, looking at her with faked concern.

"I trust you. Are you okay？ Did it hurt your scalp？"

Selina stared at me in silence until I asked her what was wrong.

She finally looked away, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"I'm just checking to see if I'm dreaming. You said this morning you had to be at the construction site all day."

I handed her the gift I was holding and smiled.

"I wanted to give you a surprise."

Her friends finally stood up, looking at me with varying degrees of awkwardness.

Chloe, her best friend, tried to smooth things over with a fake complaint.

"Selina, you're really something. Lucas got you that limited edition bag―those are impossible to find."

"Right？ If my boyfriend was even half as thoughtful as Lucas, I'd be the happiest girl alive."

Damian's face began to sour. He deliberately wrapped an arm around Selina's shoulder and looked at me.

"If you don't treat her right, I might just have to steal her away."

Selina gave him a playful swat before walking over to me, grabbing my arm.

"Luke, come light the candles with me. My birthday isn't complete without you."

She pulled me toward the cake.

I looked down at the two little figurines on the cake toppers, but before I could say a word, Selina made an excuse.

"The guys ordered this. I didn't even really look at it."

I smiled. "It's fine. As long as you're happy on your birthday."

Selina paused for a second before whispering, "Honey, you're the best."

Behind her, Damian's expression grew darker by the second.

Just like every year, I stayed until the candles were blown out, then made an excuse to go shower and head to the bedroom.

The second I closed the door, I saw Damian grab Selina and kiss her hard.

Selina gave him a token push before closing her eyes and leaning into it.

Everyone else in the room covered their mouths, as if afraid of making a sound.

Watching them kiss, a wave of nausea hit me. I ran to the bathroom and threw up until my vision blurred.

I didn't go back out for the rest of the night.

When Selina finally came to bed, she reeked of alcohol and wrapped her arms around me from behind.

"Honey, are you upset about today？"

Without waiting for an answer, she started kissing my neck.

As she tried to take things further, I pushed her away.

"I'm tired. Let's just sleep."

Selina stared at me, trying to find a hint of suspicion on my face.

In the past, if she gave me even the slightest hint, I would have been all over her.

Now, I just turned my back to her and closed my eyes.

In the darkness, a single tear escaped and soaked into the pillow.