Chapter 1
"Ms. Reed, once the android double experiment starts, after your android completes its mission, you'll have to start a new life under a different name and never show up in front of Mr. Knight again. Are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this?"
Seraphina stared at the video on her phone. Dominic Knight and Charlotte Wilder tangled together on her own wedding bed.
"Yes. Just do it," she said.
"Alright! If you're certain, please sign the contract. The experiment will begin in fifteen days," the researcher replied.
Seraphina Reed nodded and signed her name at the bottom of the page without hesitation.
Seraphina reluctantly touched her belly, her hand lingering as if unwilling to let go.
Her heart was a tangled mess of pain.
She had just found out she was pregnant.
But then she received an explicit video.
The ring on his left hand and that unmistakable voice told Seraphina that Dominic was having an affair.
And it wasn't just a one-time thing.
Frozen inside, she called a cab to the hospital and, with grim resolve, ended the pregnancy.
By the time she walked out of the hospital, darkness had already settled in.
Seraphina wandered the streets, utterly disheartened. The ache in her belly lingered, and she was so lost in her pain that she didn't notice the private car speeding toward her from behind.
By the time she came to her senses, the car was almost upon her.
"Miss, are you alright? Let me take you to the hospital!" the driver called out.
Luckily, she'd only twisted her ankle.
Maybe just to see for herself, she dialed Dominic's number.
But he never answered.
Seraphina forced a bitter smile and dragged herself home alone, every step sending fresh waves of pain through her body.
She had barely reached her front door when she came face to face with Dominic, who had just gotten back.
Dominic couldn't hide his worry as he pulled her into his arms, his voice trembling.
"Seraphina, I was busy and missed your call. What happened? You scared me half to death!" Dominic said.
He sounded like he was about to cry, but the messy clothes, the crooked tie, and the hickey on his neck, each one felt like a jab straight to Seraphina's heart.
Seraphina saw the look of deep remorse on his face and lowered her eyes. "I just twisted my ankle. It's nothing. I know you're busy."
When she looked up again, Dominic was nearly overwhelmed by guilt.
"I'm sorry, Seraphina. My phone died... I was in a meeting and didn't see your call... I swear, I'll never let it happen again," he said.
"Next time?" Seraphina echoed.
Her heart went cold. 'There won't be a next time, Dominic,' she thought.
Back at the villa, Dominic pulled Seraphina into his arms and settled her on the couch.
He kept rubbing her cold hands, worry etched on his face. "Just wait here, okay?" he said softly.
With that, he started fussing in the kitchen, making her some soothing brew.
But his attention quickly drifted to his phone when the screen lit up.
He didn't look up until the soothing brew in the pot had boiled dry, finally tearing his eyes away from his phone to glance at it.
In his panic, he flung the pot onto the floor.
With a loud crash, his phone tumbled down with it.
Hearing the commotion, Seraphina hurried into the kitchen.
Just one look, and Seraphina caught a zoomed-in shot of a woman in scandalous black stockings on his phone screen.
Dominic ignored the pot completely, scrambling to stuff his phone into his pocket, clearly rattled.
He quickly tidied up the mess, walked over to Seraphina and spoke.
"I zoned out for a bit. Never mind, I'll just order some takeout, okay? What do you feel like eating? But I can't be with you tonight. Will you be okay eating by yourself?" Dominic said.
Just as Dominic received the photo, Seraphina got the exact same picture, plus screenshots of their conversation.
The other woman sent a provocative message to Seraphina: [Bet you have no idea what kind of stockings Dominic likes. With the way you are, he'll never get to have any real fun with you. Tonight, he's mine again.]
Seraphina didn't bother replying. She just saved all the chat logs and photos.
"It's okay. Go on, I'll be here waiting for you," Seraphina said.
She reached up and straightened Dominic's collar, just like she always did.
But this time, her tears held no trace of their usual warmth.
Dominic was too busy chasing after his next rendezvous to notice anything had changed about Seraphina.
Soon, Seraphina was left alone in the sprawling house.
She slowly returned to her room, gathering her belongings, each movement heavy with heartache.
It was almost over. In just two weeks, she'd be gone from Dominic's world for good.
She would leave all the betrayal and lies behind, gone forever.
Dominic didn't come home all night.
Seraphina's phone kept lighting up with messages, relentless until morning.
Charlotte practically spammed her with every sordid detail, making sure Seraphina saw just how far things went.
Charlotte texted: [Do you even know how wild Dominic is? Seven times in one night! My back's about to snap, and he still wouldn't let me go, even first thing in the morning.]
[Look at these styles of condoms. Bet you'll never get to try any of these with Dominic in your whole life.]
[Dominic says you're like a puppet in bed, just lying there, always waiting for him to make all the moves. So dull it's painful. With me, though, he just can't help himself.]