Chapter 1

After five years of a long-distance relationship, I finally married my husband, Stanley Sinclair. I thought once we made it official, everything would fall into place. Instead, our bedroom life remained non-existent. I racked my brain trying to understand it. I even teamed up with my best friend, Mandy Shaw, and planned several full-on seduction attempts. Every single time, something went wrong. Either Stanley suddenly had stomach issues and locked himself in the bathroom, or a project at work went live, and he had to stay late. Then, on my birthday, I decided to follow him when he said he was heading back to the office to work overtime. I watched him walk up to my best friend's apartment and knock on the door. As soon as the door opened, he pulled her straight into his arms. "Do you think we could try all those tips and tricks you taught my wife tonight?" ... Through the crack of the door, I saw Stanley pin Mandy against the entryway cabinet and kiss her, his hand sliding up under her dress. Mandy grinned playfully. "Careful. What if your wife smells my scent on you later?" "Don't mention her," Stanley said hoarsely. "Are we playing that naughty game you taught me tonight?" "What's the rush?" Mandy looped her arms around his neck. "I've already seen the invitations for your wedding. Stanley, you're ruthless." He didn't answer, just buried his face in her neck. I stopped the recording and turned to leave. In the elevator mirror, my face was deathly pale, but there wasn't a single tear. Perfect. All that morning makeup couldn't go to waste. The next morning, Stanley came home at 7:00 am, carrying soy milk and croissants. He'd changed out of yesterday's clothes into a fresh outfit. When he saw me sitting at the dining table, he froze for a second. "You're up early." "I couldn't sleep." I scooped up a spoonful of oatmeal. "I was thinking about the wedding. The venue's booked for the third of next month. Is that cutting it too close?" "We'll make it," he said, sitting down, not quite meeting my eyes. "Sylvia, work's been crazy lately. Sorry if I've neglected you." He added, "It's the same project Mandy's on. She knows how it is." I looked up and smiled at him. "It's fine. You've always been like this." His shoulders relaxed a little. I stirred my oatmeal, making conversation like usual. "Do you remember sophomore year? I wanted to see a Shawn Mendes concert, but the tickets sold out in seconds. You worked three jobs and even sold that watch your dad gave you just to get us two floor seats." I said softly, "And that time when I had a fever, you skipped your final exam just to take the overnight train to the city. The dorm supervisor wouldn't let you into the female dormitory, so you stood downstairs for four hours just to bring me a bowl of soup." Stanley's eyes went teary. "Sylvia…" He leaned closer to me. I stood up with my bowl. "Careful, my makeup will smudge. Oh, and I asked Mandy to try on the bridesmaid dress. She said she really liked it." Stanley's phone buzzed. He glanced at it, his expression tightening. He declined the call, but it rang again. "You should answer," I said. "What if it's urgent?" He stepped out onto the balcony, his voice low. "Hello… Got it… I'm coming now." When he came back, he avoided my gaze. "There's a problem with a project at work. I need to go." "Go ahead," I said with a smile. "Will you be home for dinner?" "I'll try." He grabbed his jacket and headed out, then paused at the door. "Sylvia, once the wedding's over, we'll settle down and have a real life together." The door closed. I walked to the window and watched his car leave the apartment complex, heading toward Mandy's place. I dialed a number. "Mr. Brown, I need this expedited. I want all the hotel records, bank statements, and chat logs for Stanley Sinclair and Mandy Shaw. Tell me your price." The detective, Justin Brown, quoted a number. "Fine." I glanced at my account balance. "Start with the big project their company's been working on lately. It should be called Morningstar." "Got it." I opened the wedding budget spreadsheet, deleted the line for bridesmaid dresses, and replaced it with funeral service planning. When Justin emailed me, I zoomed in on the attached project proposal. One name immediately caught my eye. Mark Jennings had been a close colleague of my father, and he retired last year as head of the tech bureau. I saved the file and sent a message to Mark. "Mark, this is Sylvia. I'd like to ask you about a project." Outside, the sky darkened. I flipped my phone over. I realized the wedding itinerary needed a complete redo, with a few surprise touches added.