Chapter 1
It was Leslie Marsh's birthday, and it was already 10 pm when her husband, Luke Garner, finally walked in, carrying a filthy stray dog in his arms.
But instead of rushing to greet him like she usually did, Leslie sat alone in the empty living room, slowly savoring her favorite caramel mousse cake.
Before she could even finish her bite of cake, she heard Luke's impatient voice.
"Why isn't there any dinner?" he snapped.
He put the dog down, walked over, and shot a glance at the table. Seeing there was no big dinner like he'd hoped for, his face darkened.
"You know I don't eat beef or dessert with caramel. All you got is this? What am I supposed to eat tonight?" he grumbled.
Leslie didn't even bother to look up. "There are instant noodles in the cabinet. Just add hot water."
Luke's face darkened, and he gave her a hard stare.
"I came all the way back from out of town just to celebrate your birthday, and this is how you treat me?" he snapped.
As he moved, Leslie caught a strong whiff of women's perfume coming off him.
"I was just a little late because of work, and I even brought you a gift. What else do you want from me?" he said, his voice full of irritation.
Leslie lifted her head slightly, her clear, unwavering gaze landing on his face.
"Did you really come back just for my birthday?" Leslie asked.
A faint smile appeared on Leslie's lips, but her eyes were cold. She didn't hold back as she exposed him.
"I saw the photos. You and Abbey were walking in the park this afternoon," Leslie said coldly.
*****
Leslie was full of anticipation, buying flowers and balloons, planning to deck out the house, and hoping to spend a romantic evening together with Luke.
But Luke was out with Abbey, walking hand in hand along the riverside under the warm sun, looking for all the world like they were head over heels for each other.
When Leslie saw the photos, she had just finished blowing up a balloon. Lost in thought, the balloon burst with a loud pop in her hand, and her heart twisted with pain.
If the man in the photo wasn't her husband, it would've been a picture-perfect moment.
She tossed all the flowers and balloons into the dumpster downstairs, then went out and bought everything Luke hated, just to spite him.
She waited from sunrise to sunset for him to finally show up and celebrate her birthday. And his so-called birthday present was just a filthy stray dog he picked up on his walk with Abbey.
Luke's face went stiff for a second, then he frowned.
"Yeah, I got back this morning, but work was crazy. As for Abbey, she was feeling down this afternoon, so I just took her to the park to cheer her up," he said, trying to sound casual.
He added, "Isn't it just part of being a boss to look out for your employees' feelings?"
With that, Luke sat down next to Leslie, his voice icy, not a shred of guilt on his face.
He said, "Leslie, I get it. You want a kid. But don't go blaming Abbey for it. I've told you a million times, I'm swamped with work since I started the company. Having a kid is just not happening right now."
Luke fixed his gaze on Leslie, a mix of frustration and casual mockery in his eyes. "You're thirty-two. You really think you're still young enough to get pregnant just like that?"
Leslie felt like a sledgehammer had struck her heart. She couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.
"Yeah, I'm thirty-two, Luke. But don't forget, I married you when I was just twenty," she said.
For twelve years, Leslie wanted a baby, but Luke always shot her down, saying his career was still on the rise and he hadn't made it yet.
Her friends and family kept telling her that chasing success never ends, and she should think about herself for once. But Leslie always had his back, never complained, just played the perfect wife in the background.
From a low-level salesman to a manager, then to a company founder. He'd had limited ability but an oversized ego.
To help him get ahead, Leslie used her family's resources behind the scenes to back him up all the way.
She gave it all, never left his side, right up to this moment.
Now that he'd made it big in the business world, with all the fame and glory, he despised her for being older, unworthy of bearing his child.
Luke noticed Leslie was upset and came over to gently hug her, his voice soft and placating.
"Honey, you're getting older. Having a child would be risky. I'm doing this for your own good," he said, trying to sound caring.
Then, he pointed at the dog. "This dog may not be perfect, but every life has a soul. Why don't we raise it as our child, okay?"
The scent of rose perfume clung to him, unmistakably feminine.
Luke had always hated perfume. Whenever Leslie wore it, he'd complain it was overpowering, always saying, "I don't like you wearing perfume. I just love your natural look, without any makeup."
Because of those words, Leslie never wore perfume again, no matter how much she loved it.
But now, he was covered in the fragrance of another woman's perfume.
Leslie felt a wave of nausea rise up inside her. She shook off his hand, her expression icy as she said coldly, "If every life is so precious, why didn't you give this dog to Abbey? Or is it just not as special as that sapphire ring you gave her this afternoon?"
Luke's expression instantly turned sour. "Was that in the news too?"
He seemed to think he'd caught her out and snapped angrily, "Leslie, are you spying on me? There's no privacy, no trust left between us. How are we even supposed to stay together?"