Chapter 1

My husband, Lucian, had been pulling back-to-back shifts through the entire holiday weekend. I felt so bad for how hard he was pushing himself that I took over every single household chore to make his life easier.

But while I was doing the laundry, I felt a piece of paper in his coat pocket. It was a delivery receipt for a high-end meal prep service.

The entire order consisted of premium prenatal meals.

There was organic honeyed oatmeal, lemon-herb sea bass, and steamed seasonal greens. Everything was carefully selected for nutrition.

The note at the bottom was even more thoughtful.

"For an expectant mother. Low oil, low salt. Please ensure all utensils are sterilized at high temperatures."

The delivery address was a luxury penthouse right above his office building.

I crumpled the receipt in my hand, a cold smile touching my lips. I waited until his lunch break to give him a call.

"So, when are you planning to throw the baby shower? Don't forget to invite me for a drink."

01

The sound of frantic typing on the other end of the line stopped instantly.

Lucian remained silent for two heartbeat-long seconds before he let out a casual laugh.

"What's this about? Are you finally telling me you want a baby?"

"Didn't we agree to wait until next year? But if you're serious, I can come home right now and we can get to work on it."

His tone was suggestive and playful. He sounded like he was just teasing his wife, like he had nothing to hide.

"I don't think it's my turn, Lucian."

I smoothed out the crumpled receipt on the kitchen counter, my eyes tracing the delivery address.

"Haven't you already started taking care of a pregnant woman? That meal you ordered was very detailed. Very caring."

There was a flicker of panic in his voice, but he suppressed it quickly.

"Honey, you're overthinking this. That was for a colleague, Sienna. Her husband is away on a business trip, and she asked me for a favor."

I didn't wait for him to finish before I hung up.

Less than half an hour later, Lucian burst through the front door, drenched in sweat.

"Elara."

He was panting, not even stopping to take off his shoes before he rushed over to me. He pulled his phone from his pocket and shoved it toward my face.

"Look, this is Sienna from the finance department."

The screen was blurry from his palm sweat. He wiped it frantically on his sleeve.

"This is her husband. He's been stationed overseas for a month. See? Here are the messages where he asked me to check in on her."

The chat logs were right there. A few messages back and forth about delivery apps.

I glanced at them and pushed the phone away.

"And? I wasn't aware that being pregnant made it impossible to use an app yourself."

"She's expecting a child, Lucian. She isn't paralyzed."

Lucian wiped the sweat from his forehead, his eyes searching mine.

"She was just worried about safety. She wanted to use a male account for the orders so the delivery drivers wouldn't know she was home alone."

He suddenly raised his right hand as if he were in a courtroom.

"I swear to God, Elara. There is nothing between us. We are strictly professional."

"If you don't believe me, come to the office tomorrow. I'll have her explain it to you in front of everyone."

I stared at him for a long time. Bitterness swelled in my chest like a rising tide.

We had been together for ten years. I knew his tells. I knew that when he lied, he loved to play the victim and use grand oaths to mask his guilt.

But I just shook my head and whispered, "Forget it."

He wrapped his arms around me from behind, pulling me into his chest.

"Honey, you're the only one I love. You're the only one who has ever been in my heart since college."

His grip was tight, almost desperate, as if he were afraid I would vanish.

But I felt no warmth. I couldn't even close my eyes when night fell.

The next morning, after Lucian left for work, I opened my own delivery app. I ordered a bouquet of ninety-nine deep red roses.

I put Lucian's name on the card and set the destination to that penthouse above his office. Then, I messaged the courier.

"Could you record a video of the recipient's reaction? I'll tip you an extra twenty dollars for the trouble."

A few minutes later, my phone buzzed. It was the video.

The door opened to reveal a woman in a loose, silk robe. Her belly was prominently rounded, showing a pregnancy of several months.

"Thank you," she said, taking the flowers.

She didn't look surprised to see Lucian's name on the card. Instead, she gently stroked her stomach with a tender smile.

"Look, baby. Daddy sent us flowers."

"When you're born, you have to love Mommy just as much as Daddy does, okay?"

"Daddy loves us the most, doesn't he?"

The video cut off there.

I put the phone down, my hands trembling uncontrollably.

My husband of ten years was cheating on me, and he had a child on the way with another woman.

I was the fool, the clown who thought she was living in a happy marriage.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, forcing the pain down. If Lucian chose betrayal, he was going to learn exactly what betrayal cost.