Chapter 3

How many times did I feel let down during those years I stuck by him while he chased his startup dreams?

Back then, we were living in a basement apartment. Whenever it rained, the place would get damp, and mold would start growing in the corners.

One night, I woke up shivering from the cold, and he pulled me into his arms.

"Emma, once I make it big, I'll give you the best home you could ever dream of," he promised.

Years later, he finally made it big.

But instead of giving me the home he promised, he handed Sophie and Mia permanent access cards to his place.

I stared down at the property registration form.

"Henry, three months ago you wouldn't let me move in, but you gave them permanent access cards," I said.

His expression finally shifted.

"You've got it all wrong," Henry said.

[Henry's lie count: 10]

I looked up at him.

"Then what is it?" I asked.

Henry was silent for a few seconds.

He explained, "Sophie ran into some trouble at home, so she and Mia had nowhere else to go.

"I just let them crash here for a few nights."

[Henry's lie count: 11]

Temporary. There it was again.

But there were children's dishes in the kitchen cabinet, fever meds in the fridge, and a balance bike parked out on the balcony.

The access cards had their names printed right on them.

No one would turn a wedding home into this for just a "temporary" stay.

I got up and headed to the walk-in closet, gathering up the dress, my ID, and a few changes of clothes I'd left here earlier.

Henry followed me and grabbed my wrist. "Where are you going?"

I shook off his hand. "I'm taking my stuff."

His eyes narrowed. "You're really leaving over something this small?"

I looked up at him. "You call this 'something small'?

"Henry, you'd better just stop talking.

"Every time you try to explain, it just makes me sick."

He froze.

I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the door.

Just as I reached the door, another message from Sophie popped up on my phone.

Sophie: [Mr. Rivers, Mia's fever is gone.

[Mia wants to know if you'll be coming home tonight to sleep with her.]

I stopped in my tracks.

Henry quickly flipped his phone over, but I'd already seen the message.

I looked at him and asked, "Coming home? Henry, which home have you really been coming back to all these years?"

He didn't answer.

I pulled the door open.

This time, I was the one who left our home first.

That night, I didn't go back to the apartment I used to share with Henry.

Instead, I went to my best friend Olivia White's place.

When Olivia heard the whole story, she was so furious she nearly smashed her cup.

"Isn't Sophie just his secretary? How did she end up with a kid calling him 'Dad'?" Olivia exclaimed.

I sat on the couch, holding a cup of hot water in my hands.

"I used to think the same way," I said.

Olivia swore under her breath.

"So what are you going to do now?" she asked.

I stared out the window. "I'll look into it first."

For the past ten years, I put all my trust in Henry.

I bought every excuse he gave me about "the company needs me."

I believed him every time he said, "I'm busy."

I believed every time he put Sophie and Mia ahead of me, thinking it was just because he felt sorry for them.

But now? I don't buy it anymore.

I was the very first person to handle the finances at RiversTech Solutions.

I still had backup access to the company's early email accounts, expense system, and contract cloud storage.

I never bothered to check before because it never even crossed my mind.

Olivia got in touch with a friend who worked in finance to help me dig through the old records.

Three days later, she handed me the files. "Emma, you'd better brace yourself."

I opened the first page.

The first record was from five years ago, back when Henry's company was starting to get off the ground.

He used an account tied to RiversTech Solutions to set up a photography studio for Sophie.

The studio was called Sophie Photography Studio.

That same year, I sold the gold bracelet my mom left me, just so I could help him cover the final payment for his project.

Henry pulled me into his arms and said, "Emma, once the company gets back on its feet, I'll pay you back ten times over."

I kept reading.

The second record was from three years ago. Henry bought Sophie a car, saying it was an "employee benefit."

That same month, I was stuck in a crappy apartment in the city, with my landlord constantly chasing me for rent.

Henry just told me the company was low on funds and I'd have to hang in there a bit longer.

The third record was from last year. He used the excuse of an "employee child education subsidy" to pay a six-figure education fund for Mia.

Meanwhile, on my birthday, all I got was a mug that probably cost twenty dollars at most.

He said, "Emma, rituals aren't important. We don't need all those meaningless formalities between us."

That night, Henry showed up outside Olivia's apartment building.

He called me over a dozen times, but I didn't pick up.

Finally, he sent me a message.

Henry: [Emma, come down. Let's talk.]

I stood on the balcony, looking down. He was leaning against his car, a cigarette between his fingers.

He rarely smoked back then.

Whenever the company was struggling, he'd spend the whole night out there, just like this.

I used to worry about him—I'd grab my coat and rush downstairs to stand with him in the cold.

But this time, I closed the window.

But at one in the morning, he still knocked on the door.

Olivia wouldn't let him in, so I just walked over and opened the door just a crack.

Henry's eyes were bloodshot.

"Emma, I couldn't find you anywhere," he said.

There was no sign he was lying.

He really couldn't find me, and he was truly panicked.

I asked, "What do you want with me? Are you here to talk things out?"

I held up the documents.