Chapter 1

On our first day together, Samuel said, "If one day you find out I've betrayed you, don't ever let me come back. If I cross that unforgivable line, I deserve the punishment of losing you."

So when Samuel cheated on me with his intern, he forbade anyone from letting me in on it.

He told his buddies, "Emily's the love of my life. No way I'm divorcing her. Guys fool around, but in the end, home is where they return."

But the intern seriously overestimated her spot in his world.

She sent me anonymous messages and even added me on an alternative account, spamming me nonstop with their lovey-dovey selfies.

[Mr. Foster's one in a million. Naturally, he'll go for someone younger. Do yourself a favor and just walk away.]

I just smiled faintly, not bothering to reply.

If Samuel liked playing with fire so much, then I hoped he was ready to get burned.

*****

By the time I got home, it was already half past ten.

I still hadn't deleted that anonymous text on my phone. [Emily, wanna know what Mr. Foster's really like in bed?]

For seven years of marriage, and not once did I ever imagine Samuel could cheat on me.

The magazine lying on the coffee table had Samuel smiling from the cover.

During an interview, a reporter asked him who he was most thankful for.

He replied, "My wife. We started from nothing together. Seven years have gone by, and our anniversary is just around the corner.

"Without her support, I wouldn't be who I am today. She's not just my wife. She's also my soulmate, who believed in me before anyone else did."

Looking at Samuel's face on the cover, I drifted into a momentary daze.

His comments in that finance magazine went viral almost instantly.

Everyone envied me, saying our life was straight out of a romance webnovel.

Some people even managed to dig up photos from seven years ago—when we squeezed together under a tiny umbrella, grinning as we sold orange juice on the street.

We were childhood friends, and it wasn't until after college that Samuel finally confessed to me.

After graduation, I gave up studying abroad to stay and help him build his business from the ground up.

When money got tight, we pinched every penny to get by. Tap water was the only thing we had to quell our hunger.

We once dwelt in our cramped rental, picturing how bright things would be someday.

Now all the dreams we once mapped out have come true, but Samuel wasn't the man I used to know.

Samuel got home near midnight, startled to find me sitting on the couch.

"Emily, why aren't you asleep?" he asked.

I fixed my gaze on him, keeping silent.

For a moment, I saw panic flash across his face, but he quickly pasted on a smile and fished out a velvet box from his pocket.

He popped it open. Inside was a ring with a big, shining diamond.

"A diamond is forever, or so the ads say! Check it out. Do you like it?" he asked.

He even altered his voice like those cheesy diamond ads to make me smile.

After seven years together, I knew his tricks inside out. He only splurged when he was trying to cover up his guilt.

I took the ring, set it on the nightstand, and told him I was tired, not bothering to give it a second glance.

*****

The next morning, I woke up to the clattering sounds of pots and pans coming from the kitchen.

Back when we were getting the business off the ground, I was so stressed out that my hormones went haywire. Years later, I still hadn't fully recovered.

We had no money, so I could only nurse myself back to health with simple meals.

That was when Samuel started cooking for me—something he's kept up ever since.

I'd lounge on the couch, watching him cook and teasing him.

I once said, "Mr. Foster, someone with your kind of net worth probably shouldn't be slaving away in the kitchen, right?"

He'd laugh, mimicking my tone and saying, "It doesn't matter how rich I get, I'll always be here, cooking for you."

But now, I had a mix of feelings.

Once he finished laying out the dishes, Samuel snatched up his car keys, ready to rush out.

I glanced at the wall clock. "Heading out this early?"

He paused for a split second, his eyes darting away in guilt. "Yeah, gotta get there ahead of schedule. There's a super important meeting this morning."

I gave a small nod, watching his hurried figure disappear, and my smile faded.

Not even two minutes later, another anonymous text popped up on my phone: [Curious what Mr. Foster's getting up to this morning? Tag along if you wanna find out.]

Almost against my own will, I found myself trailing after him.

But instead of heading to the office, Samuel drove straight to an amusement park.