Chapter 1

On our wedding anniversary, my husband was staying at a hotel with his childhood best friend.

Soon, my phone buzzed with a notification from Instagram. My husband had just posted a new update:

“So glad to have you by my side for every single birthday.”

In the photo, my husband and Chloe were leaning against each other, facing the ocean.

I tapped the screen, left a like, and commented: “So romantic.”

A few minutes later, Chloe’s call came through. Her voice was trembling, filled with fake tears.

"Lily, today is my birthday. I just wanted to post a picture to celebrate. I didn't mean anything else by it. Please, don't get the wrong idea."

Before I could even speak, a man’s voice hijacked the call.

"Lily, are you ever going to stop? I’m just out here celebrating Chloe's birthday. Why do you always have to be so paranoid and ruin everything?"

Without waiting for my reply, he turned to comfort Chloe. "Don't pay attention to her. She’s just bored out of her mind and constantly looking for attention."

Chloe’s quiet sobs instantly turned into a smug, muffled giggle.

I hung up.

Two years of chasing him, three years of marriage.

I had loved Ethan Carter for six long years. But at this exact moment, I suddenly wanted to let go.

When Ethan came home, I was playing with my kitten on the couch.

The little ball of fur was rubbing its head against my hand.

Ethan looked at the cake on the dining table and frowned. "Didn't I tell you to stop eating this trash?"

Ever since I married Ethan, he had strictly controlled my diet. His excuse was always that I was getting out of shape.

He had completely forgotten that today was our fourth wedding anniversary.

I only bought the cake to celebrate.

Ethan swept the cake and the packaging straight into the trash can, not caring how it looked.

Then, he tossed a handbag onto the table in front of me.

"Chloe asked me to bring this to you. She said you’d love this style."

I looked up. It was a limited-edition Hermès Birkin bag.

With Chloe’s current salary and junior position, there was no way she could afford this bag.

She wasn't giving me a gift. She was marking her territory.

"Well, thank her for her immense generosity. It must have cost a fortune."

"As long as you know," Ethan said dismissively. "Remember to text Chloe and tell her you're not mad. She’s been stressing out about it."

"You're older than her, yet you're not half as mature as she is."

I kept stroking the kitten and didn't reply.

Ethan talked until his throat was dry. Seeing my silence, he grew annoyed. "What is this attitude? Didn't I already explain everything to you?"

He kicked my knee with his foot. "Can you say something? Stop sitting there like a corpse."

I winced, a sharp pain shooting through my leg. My knees were highly sensitive to cold and damp weather.

It was a permanent injury I got years ago, when I dragged Ethan out of a burning car wreck and a jagged piece of metal sliced through my joint.

The kitten was startled by his sudden movement and leaped out of my arms, vanishing into the hallway.

Seeing the cold sweat breaking out on my forehead, Ethan finally realized what he had done. "I’ll go get your medicine from the bedroom."

I wanted to stop him, but the words caught in my throat.

Earlier today, I had felt unwell and went to the clinic. The doctor told me I was pregnant.

I had planned to tell Ethan tonight, on our anniversary. But now, looking at him, I realized there was absolutely no point.

Ethan brought the pillbox and handed it to me.

Just as he was about to pour me a glass of water, his phone rang.

He glanced at me, hesitated, and then walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window to take the call.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Ethan, my stomach hurts so bad... I can't even stand up. Can you please take me to the ER?"

Chloe’s sweet, whiny voice echoed clearly through the quiet room. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

Ethan panicked instantly. "Are you at home? I'm coming right now."

"Is Lily with you? She won't be mad if you leave, right?"

"Who cares if she's mad? Don't worry about her."

As Ethan spoke, he glared at me, his eyes warning me not to make a scene.

"Tell Lily I said thank you."

"We're family, Chloe. You don't need to thank her," I said loudly, stepping closer to Ethan’s phone.

Both of them went dead silent on the line.

"What are you waiting for?" I smiled calmly. "Go. Don't keep Chloe waiting."

Ethan hung up and quickly changed his shoes at the entryway. "I'm really leaving."

"Okay," I replied, not looking at him.

In the past, if Chloe called Ethan in the middle of the night, I would have thrown a massive fit. But now, I felt nothing.

I knew that whether I screamed or cried, Ethan would leave me for her anyway. Why not just let him go?

"I'm really going."

"Wait..."

"I knew it!" Ethan snapped, his face instantly twisting into anger. "Lily, stop pretending to be understanding. Chloe is sick. It's my duty to take her to the hospital. Can you stop being so petty?"

I shook my head and smiled. "I'm not asking you to stay. I just wanted to tell you that you forgot your bag."

Ethan froze.

"Chloe’s ID card is in your wallet, isn't it? If you forget it, it'll be hard for her to check in at the ER."

In the past, every time I opened Ethan's bag, I would find her ID or her keys. We had fought about it a hundred times. His excuse was always that Chloe was forgetful, so he kept her things for safekeeping.

Eventually, I stopped asking.

Ethan grabbed his bag. Before he stepped out, he muttered, "Wait for me at home. I'll be back soon."