Chapter 1

In the third year of my marriage, I started seeing a younger man, Kyle Morgan, on the side. I'd even stopped making a scene over my husband, Ethan Pierce's, infidelity. And just now, I found a pair of torn pantyhose in the passenger seat. He glanced over indifferently and brushed it off with a laugh. "She just likes to spice things up. Don't take it personally." This time, I didn't throw a tantrum. I simply nodded to show I understood. Yet, his expression darkened. He suddenly slammed on the brakes. … "Don't come over tonight. Ethan is back." The other side replied instantly with a crying emoji. I couldn't help but smile faintly. Looking up, I met Ethan's sullen face and finally noticed the suffocating silence in the car. I put my phone away and asked coldly, "What's wrong?" "Something about you feels different." I was taken aback. This wasn't the first time Ethan's mistress, Mia Hayes, had provoked me. Last time, it was a pair of panties tucked into his suit pocket. I'd trashed the bedroom and screamed at him like a crazy woman. All I got in return was his icy retort, "Can you stop being so dramatic?" But now, I'd finally given him what he wanted. I no longer made a scene over his infidelity. I smiled faintly. "Isn't this what you wanted?" Ethan's expression hardened, his next words dripping with sarcasm. "Mia may be young, but she's full of fun tricks in bed. She's pretty interesting." He went on, "Darling, you should really take notes from her. Stop being so dull." A smug smile tugged at his lips as he raised an eyebrow. "Who knows? Maybe then it'd actually be worth my time to stay home a few extra days." "No need," I replied, leaning against the car window and closing my eyes. Ethan hadn't been home in a month. He honeymooned in Maldovia with Mia and made sure everyone knew about it, flaunting every moment on social media. As a result, I became the laughingstock of our social circle. At this moment, Ethan stood at the doorway, frowning deeply as he looked at the completely transformed bedroom. The entire bedding set had been replaced, and the wedding photo that used to sit by the bed was gone. The space held no trace that he had ever lived here. "Where's my stuff?" he asked. "Thrown out." Ethan whipped around. "What's that supposed to mean?" He stared at me, then suddenly laughed, his tone softening into a placating drawl. "Darling, I know I went a bit overboard this time. You're mad, aren't you? Come on. I came home, didn't I? Look, I even brought you a gift." Ethan placed the gift bag on the coffee table and headed into the bathroom. When he emerged while toweling his hair, his tone sharpened. "Why did you switch out my usual body wash, too?" It took me a moment to remember Kyle had swapped it. He said he didn't like the old scent and swapped it for orange blossom. The familiar fragrance of body wash drew closer as Ethan embraced me from behind and deliberately pressed his face to my neck. "Darling, I missed you…" My heart skipped a beat. The hickey Kyle had left on my chest hadn't yet faded. Just a little lower, and Ethan would see them. I turned and shoved him away forcefully. "I'm not Mia. If you're missing someone, go find her." Ethan staggered back a few steps, then regained his balance. His face was ashen, words grinding out through clenched teeth. "Are you seriously not done with this? It was just a honeymoon trip with her. Haven't I taken you on trips before? Why are you making such a big deal out of it?" I looked at him and spoke calmly. "Yes. It is. Ethan, I find you disgusting." Veins on his hands bulged as he snatched his coat from the couch. "Fine. You don't know what's good for you. Don't you dare come begging for me to return later." The door slammed shut with a bang. I walked to the coffee table and looked at the gift bag. It suddenly dawned on me that today was supposed to be our fifth wedding anniversary. I opened the box and found the exact bag I'd posted on social media a few days ago, a limited edition with only five made worldwide. A wry smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. How thoughtful of him. Even while on his honeymoon with his mistress, he still remembered to try to placate me. Just then, a message popped up on my phone. It was a picture sent by Mia. Her clothes were disheveled, and Ethan was leaning against her chest. "Even when I give you a chance, you still can't manage to keep him? I'm the one who convinced Ethan to go home and check on you, you know."