Chapter 1

The air in the "InnovateX" headquarters buzzed with forced excitement. It was our fifth anniversary, and my husband and CEO, David Chen, stood on a small stage in the middle of our open-plan office. He was holding a microphone, a charming smile plastered on his face.

"To celebrate five amazing years," he announced, his voice booming, "we're sending two representatives to the Global Tech Summit in Hawaii! All expenses paid!"

A cheer went through the staff.

"And to make it fair," he continued with a theatrical wink, "our representatives will be chosen by… a game!"

He pointed to a large glass bowl filled with folded pieces of paper, each supposedly holding an employee's name.

My stomach tightened. I knew this game. I knew this smile.

"The first name I draw will be our lead representative!" David reached into the bowl, swirled his hand around dramatically, and pulled out a slip of paper. He unfolded it. "Well, what do you know! It's me!"

Laughter and applause. Of course, it was him.

"And now for my partner…" He reached in again. This time, his hand didn't move. It went straight for a specific spot near the top. He fumbled for a second, then pulled out a single, precisely folded slip. "And the lucky winner is…"

He paused for effect, his eyes scanning the crowd. They didn't scan. They went straight to one person.

"Emily White!"

A wave of polite applause was immediately followed by a ripple of whispers. I saw the sideways glances, the smirks exchanged between my colleagues, Tom and Lisa. They knew. Everyone knew.

Emily, David's vivacious and much-younger assistant, squealed with delight. She practically ran to the stage, throwing her arms around David in a hug that lasted far too long.

She was wearing the new perfume I' d noticed in our bathroom, the one David said a client had gifted him. As she pulled away from him, her hand lingered on his arm, her red nails a stark contrast against the cuff of his white shirt.

I stood frozen by my desk, the Head of Marketing, the co-founder, the silent partner in his life. I looked down at my left hand. There was a faint, pale band of skin on my ring finger. It was a ghost of the wedding ring I took off every morning before work.

"For the company's image, Sarah," David had said three years ago, just after we got married. "A young, bachelor CEO is better for investors. We' ll tell everyone when we're stable."

We were more than stable now. We were a multi-million dollar company built on the back of my father' s patents. But the ring remained in a box in my nightstand, and our marriage remained a secret.

David cleared his throat, his arm now casually draped around Emily' s shoulders. "Sarah, can you please make the official announcement on our social channels? Let's get a nice picture of the winning team!"

My heart felt like a block of ice. I had to smile. I had to walk over to my computer, my fingers feeling numb as they typed out the press release. I had to announce to the world that my husband was taking his assistant on a romantic trip, disguised as business.

It was my job. A job I did with a professional, hollow smile.

"Of course, David," I said, my voice sounding distant to my own ears. "Congratulations, Emily. This is a huge opportunity."

Emily gave me a triumphant little smile. "Thank you, Sarah. I'll try not to disappoint."

Tom walked over to my desk after the crowd dispersed. He looked uncomfortable. "Hey, Sarah. Tough break. I thought for sure he'd pick you. You've done more for this summit's prep than anyone."

"It was a random draw, Tom," I replied, the words tasting like ash. "Emily is a lucky girl."

Lisa joined him, not even trying to hide her pity. "He says it's for team morale, to give a junior employee a chance. But we all know what it really is."

David had already walked off with Emily, his head bent close to hers, laughing at something she said. He didn't even look back at me. He was defending his decision to others, but he didn't feel the need to defend it to me. He just took my compliance for granted.

I stared at my computer screen, at the picture of them smiling together that I was about to post. Five years. Five years I had poured my life into this company. Five years I had supported him, believed in him, loved him. I gave him my father' s legacy, the core technology that made us rich. I worked weekends, missed holidays, and defended him to my family who wondered why he never had time for them.

All for this. To be a ghost in my own life. To be the competent, reliable, invisible wife while he built a new narrative with someone else.

He promised we would announce our marriage this year. On our anniversary. He said he wanted to buy a house, start a family. He said he loved me.

I looked down at my hand again, at that pale, empty space on my finger. The promise was a lie. I saw it now with a clarity that hurt. The reason we couldn't announce our marriage wasn't for the investors.

It was for Emily.