Chapter 1

It was our seventh wedding anniversary.

Xavier Hunt brought the little mistress he had been keeping on the side back to our home.

The girl's eyes were brimming with tears. She knelt before me without a second thought.

"Mrs. Hunt, love isn't about who got there first. Xavier and I are truly in love. Please, I beg you, let us be together!"

I turned my head to look at Xavier.

He picked Gia up, looking heartbroken. Usually a neat freak, he was now frantically wiping her tears with his bare hands, looking completely lost.

He didn't even look up at me when he spoke.

"Gia has been with me without any status or title. I can't let her down. Don't worry, she isn't ambitious. It's just one more plate at the table."

With that, he carried Gia into the master bedroom and slammed the door.

He seemed to have forgotten that today was our anniversary.

He also forgot that seven years ago, another girl had followed him without asking for anything in return.

I looked at the light-up sign on the table that read "Happy Anniversary."

I knew right then that there was no future for us.

01

The cake on the dining table had already melted.

The dinner the maid had carefully prepared had long since gone cold.

I took out my phone and snapped a photo of the desolate table.

No matter how I filtered it, I couldn't make it look warm or happy.

I gave a self-deprecating laugh and was about to turn off my phone.

Suddenly, a notification from Gia's social media popped up.

"Starting today, I finally have a title!"

The attached photo showed her and a man sitting in a car, their fingers tightly intertwined.

I recognized that car instantly. It was Xavier's.

And the seat Gia was sitting in―the passenger seat―was the one Xavier once promised would only ever belong to me.

I smiled and gave the post a like, then left a comment.

"Congratulations. Is being a homewrecker really that satisfying?"

I looked up at the closed master bedroom door, curious to see her reaction.

The door swung open, and Xavier walked out, smelling of steam and soap.

He had just showered and was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.

Hickeys were visible all over his chest.

Seeing me stare, he gave a playful, doting smile.

"Gia was just being a bit rowdy. Don't take it to heart."

He leaned in toward my cheek, seemingly intending to kiss me.

I moved away without a word.

Xavier frowned, then sat across from me. His tone was still coated in that annoying affection.

"Today was my fault. I just ordered the latest jewelry and designer bags for you. You'll get them tomorrow. Stop being mad at me, okay?"

"Gia is young. She doesn't always know how to handle things perfectly. Don't hold it against her. Delete that comment, okay? She's inside crying her eyes out like a little kitten."

I didn't agree. I just crossed my arms and stared at this man I had loved for ten years.

Ten years of love, seven years of marriage.

His face suddenly felt like that of a complete stranger.

When he didn't get the answer he wanted, Xavier's brow furrowed. He suppressed his irritation and tried to sound patient.

"Lyra, stop making a scene. I know it might take a while for you to accept Gia. But once you get to know her, you'll see she's a sweet, innocent girl. Be a good girl and delete the comment."

I looked at him blankly. "And if I don't? What are you going to do to me?"

Before he could answer, Gia's sobs drifted out from the bedroom.

She ran out, tears streaming down her face, looking at me with trembling eyes.

"Mrs. Hunt, since you hate me so much, I'll leave!"

She turned to go, but Xavier grabbed her arm and pulled her into a firm embrace.

"You're already my woman. Where do you think you're going!"

"I have your first kiss, your first time, and I'm your first love. You gave me everything precious you had. How are you going to survive without me!"

Gia's voice choked up. "I don't want to leave, but Mrs. Hunt can't stand me. I'm asking for too much. Xavier, let me go. I'll pray for you and her from somewhere you'll never find. I'm not selfish like her. I don't need to own you. As long as you're happy, I'll do anything."

Xavier raised his head and locked eyes with me, his gaze cold.

"I'm still the one who calls the shots in this house. Gia, don't worry about what other people think. As long as I want you to stay, no one can kick you out!"

"Sweetie, you're pregnant. You can't cry like this. It's bad for the baby."

My head snapped up. My face went ghostly white as I stared at him in disbelief.

A smug smirk played on Gia's tear-stained face. She looked at me with triumph when Xavier couldn't see her.

Xavier gently took Gia's hand and placed it on her stomach.

"Gia, the baby wouldn't want to see you upset because of someone else, either."

That "someone else" was clearly me.

I watched as he patiently coaxed her back into the room.

The feeling of nausea was overwhelming.

I stood up and dumped the cake and the cold dinner into the trash.

After cleaning the dishes, I saw several notifications on my phone.

I clicked on them and saw that Xavier, who never posted on social media, had shared a photo.

It was a silhouette of Gia's profile.

If you didn't look closely, she looked about thirty percent like me.

Many people assumed Xavier was showing off his love for me.

The comments were flooded with heart emojis and "Forever Together" messages.

It was laughable.

On our seventh anniversary, my husband was flaunting his mistress.

I knew this was his way of retaliating because I wouldn't delete my comment.

He truly doted on Gia.

And he certainly knew how to humiliate me.

Looking at the screen full of well-wishes, I felt a sudden, crushing sense of exhaustion.

I didn't know when our love had turned into a game of power.

The love between two people had become a twisted game of three.