Chapter 1 · 300 Witnesses: The Day I Stopped Being The Quiet Wife

"Don't move. Let them get a good look." I gripped the woman's hair, my knuckles white.

She shrieked, struggling to break free, but I held on tighter.

The green light on Liam Lane's laptop camera glowed steadily. On the screen, a grid of faces stared back—three hundred of them.

Their company-wide meeting was streaming live.

I smiled into the camera. "Hello, everyone. I'm Liam's wife."

*****

That morning, I was making the bed.

Liam left at seven, saying he had an important meeting at work and needed to get there early to prepare.

I walked him to the door, and he leaned down to kiss me. "Don't wait for me at lunch. The meeting might last all day."

I nodded. "Alright, try to come home early."

He smiled and closed the door.

I turned back to the bedroom to keep tidying up.

Halfway through making the bed, the phone on the coffee table buzzed.

It was Liam's. He'd left his phone behind.

I grabbed it, ready to chase after him.

The screen lit up with a new message.

The contact name was an emoji. The message said: [Hubby, should I wear the dress you like today?]

I froze.

Hubby? I stared at that word for a whole ten seconds, completely stunned.

Then I tapped into the conversation.

There were tons of messages.

I didn't bother scrolling up; I only checked the latest ones.

[Hubby, can you spend the weekend with me? I miss you.]

[Be good. I'll come see you after the meeting.]

[Your wife won't find out, will she?]

[She's at home with the kid all day. She doesn't know a thing.]

[Stupid woman.]

[Totally.]

My hands shook.

It wasn't rage. It was the cold, the kind that started at the base of my spine and spread to my fingertips.

I kept scrolling up.

I scrolled up further and spotted multiple transactions of varying amounts.

Every single one had the same memo: [Treating my girl to something cute.]

There were photos too.

One photo showed a woman in a red dress, the backdrop a five-star hotel with floor-to-ceiling windows. The caption read: [Hubby says red looks best on me.]

And another photo: she and Liam cheek to cheek

She kissed his cheek. He smiled.

I knew that smile all too well.

Back when we were dating, he smiled at me just like that.

I set the phone down. Then I stood up and walked over to the mirror.

The woman in the mirror was wearing faded loungewear, her hair carelessly tied up, and not a hint of makeup on her face.

This was the "stupid woman" in Liam's eyes. This was the wife who "didn't know a thing."

I let out a small laugh. Then I opened the closet and pulled out that dress I'd tucked away at the back.

The black, fitted-waist one from two years ago.

I hadn't worn anything nice in a long time.

Because Liam said, "You're not going anywhere. Who are you dressing up for?"

Today, I was going to dress up for him. For that woman. For everyone to see.

I grabbed a cab and headed straight to the place Liam had been sneaking off to.

It was the address from his chat history, the one he'd mentioned to that woman.

[Baby, I'll be waiting for you at our usual spot today.]

It was a serviced apartment.

I'd looked it up. The rent was 4 thousand a month.

But Liam only gave me 1,500 bucks for household expenses each month.

For groceries, I always had to hunt for discounts. For clothes, I waited for clearance sales at the end of the season.

But that woman? She was living it up in a place that cost 4 thousand a month.

I stood at the entrance, took a deep breath, and walked in.

The receptionist asked who I was here for.

I said, "I'm looking for my husband, Liam Lane."

The receptionist hesitated. "Ma'am, there's no one named Liam Lane living here."

I smiled. "Maybe it's under the woman's name. Winnie Grant, 1603."

The receptionist's expression shifted.

I smiled. "No worries. She's my husband's secretary. I'm bringing him some paperwork."

The receptionist didn't stop me.

I rode the elevator up to the 16th floor and stopped at 1603.

The door was slightly ajar. I could hear voices inside.

It was Liam's voice. "Honey, the meeting's going to last all day. I can only come see you for a bit at lunch.

"Just a bit?" Winnie's voice was all sweet and whiny. "I wore the dress you liked."

"Be good. I'll come see you after the meeting tonight."

"What about your wife?"

"Her?" Liam laughed. "All she does is take care of my son. What could she possibly find out?"

I pushed the door open. "Finding out you're here—does that count?"

Chapter 1

"Don't move. Let them get a good look." I gripped the woman's hair, my knuckles white.

She shrieked, struggling to break free, but I held on tighter.

The green light on Liam Lane's laptop camera glowed steadily. On the screen, a grid of faces stared back—three hundred of them.

Their company-wide meeting was streaming live.

I smiled into the camera. "Hello, everyone. I'm Liam's wife."

*****

That morning, I was making the bed.

Liam left at seven, saying he had an important meeting at work and needed to get there early to prepare.

I walked him to the door, and he leaned down to kiss me. "Don't wait for me at lunch. The meeting might last all day."

I nodded. "Alright, try to come home early."

He smiled and closed the door.

I turned back to the bedroom to keep tidying up.

Halfway through making the bed, the phone on the coffee table buzzed.

It was Liam's. He'd left his phone behind.

I grabbed it, ready to chase after him.

The screen lit up with a new message.

The contact name was an emoji. The message said: [Hubby, should I wear the dress you like today?]

I froze.

Hubby? I stared at that word for a whole ten seconds, completely stunned.

Then I tapped into the conversation.

There were tons of messages.

I didn't bother scrolling up; I only checked the latest ones.

[Hubby, can you spend the weekend with me? I miss you.]

[Be good. I'll come see you after the meeting.]

[Your wife won't find out, will she?]

[She's at home with the kid all day. She doesn't know a thing.]

[Stupid woman.]

[Totally.]

My hands shook.

It wasn't rage. It was the cold, the kind that started at the base of my spine and spread to my fingertips.

I kept scrolling up.

I scrolled up further and spotted multiple transactions of varying amounts.

Every single one had the same memo: [Treating my girl to something cute.]

There were photos too.

One photo showed a woman in a red dress, the backdrop a five-star hotel with floor-to-ceiling windows. The caption read: [Hubby says red looks best on me.]

And another photo: she and Liam cheek to cheek

She kissed his cheek. He smiled.

I knew that smile all too well.

Back when we were dating, he smiled at me just like that.

I set the phone down. Then I stood up and walked over to the mirror.

The woman in the mirror was wearing faded loungewear, her hair carelessly tied up, and not a hint of makeup on her face.

This was the "stupid woman" in Liam's eyes. This was the wife who "didn't know a thing."

I let out a small laugh. Then I opened the closet and pulled out that dress I'd tucked away at the back.

The black, fitted-waist one from two years ago.

I hadn't worn anything nice in a long time.

Because Liam said, "You're not going anywhere. Who are you dressing up for?"

Today, I was going to dress up for him. For that woman. For everyone to see.

I grabbed a cab and headed straight to the place Liam had been sneaking off to.

It was the address from his chat history, the one he'd mentioned to that woman.

[Baby, I'll be waiting for you at our usual spot today.]

It was a serviced apartment.

I'd looked it up. The rent was 4 thousand a month.

But Liam only gave me 1,500 bucks for household expenses each month.

For groceries, I always had to hunt for discounts. For clothes, I waited for clearance sales at the end of the season.

But that woman? She was living it up in a place that cost 4 thousand a month.

I stood at the entrance, took a deep breath, and walked in.

The receptionist asked who I was here for.

I said, "I'm looking for my husband, Liam Lane."

The receptionist hesitated. "Ma'am, there's no one named Liam Lane living here."

I smiled. "Maybe it's under the woman's name. Winnie Grant, 1603."

The receptionist's expression shifted.

I smiled. "No worries. She's my husband's secretary. I'm bringing him some paperwork."

The receptionist didn't stop me.

I rode the elevator up to the 16th floor and stopped at 1603.

The door was slightly ajar. I could hear voices inside.

It was Liam's voice. "Honey, the meeting's going to last all day. I can only come see you for a bit at lunch.

"Just a bit?" Winnie's voice was all sweet and whiny. "I wore the dress you liked."

"Be good. I'll come see you after the meeting tonight."

"What about your wife?"

"Her?" Liam laughed. "All she does is take care of my son. What could she possibly find out?"

I pushed the door open. "Finding out you're here—does that count?"