Chapter 2

Sleep eluded me that night. I tossed and turned in our king-sized bed, the mattress suddenly feeling too large, too empty despite Michael's presence beside me. His breathing had deepened into the steady rhythm of sleep while I lay awake, staring at the ceiling, my mind replaying the overheard conversation on an endless loop.

"Once the baby is here, it's easier to present things as a fait accompli."

"A distant relative who died in childbirth."

"Lydia trusts me completely."

Each word was a knife twisting deeper. I finally gave up on sleep around two in the morning. I slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Michael—not that he would notice. He slept the sleep of the untroubled, of the successful deceiver.

I pulled on a sweater against the night chill and stepped outside. The neighborhood was bathed in silver moonlight, the streets quiet and empty. Our house—the one we'd chosen together, the one we'd filled with hopes of a family—looked peaceful from the outside. You'd never know the rot that had taken hold within its walls.

I didn't have a destination in mind. I simply needed to move, to breathe air that wasn't contaminated by lies. My feet carried me through familiar streets, past darkened windows and neatly trimmed hedges. The night air was cool against my skin, helping to clear my head.

"Where are you going?" a small voice inside me asked. "What are you going to do?"

I had no answer yet. Just the certainty that nothing could ever be the same.

I found myself in the small park three blocks from our house—a place Michael and I used to walk together on Sunday mornings. The benches were empty except for one at the far end, where two figures sat close together. A couple. Even from a distance, I could tell they were arguing.

I hesitated, not wanting to intrude on their privacy, but something kept me there. Perhaps I needed to witness someone else's pain to make sense of my own.

"—can't believe you would do this to me!" The woman's voice rose sharply, carrying across the still night air.

I moved closer, staying in the shadows of the oak trees that bordered the path. They were too absorbed in their argument to notice me.

"It was one mistake, Jess," the man pleaded. "One mistake that won't happen again."

The woman—Jess—laughed bitterly. "One mistake? You've been lying to me for months!"

I sank onto a nearby bench, hidden by darkness but close enough to hear every word.

"Baby, please," he begged. "I'll make it up to you. Whatever it takes."

"Whatever it takes?" Jess's voice cracked with emotion. "You think you can fix this? You think you can just say 'I'm sorry' and everything goes back to normal?"

The man reached for her hand, but she pulled away. "Don't touch me."

"I love you," he insisted. "That has to count for something."

"Love?" Jess spat the word like it tasted bitter. "Love doesn't lie. Love doesn't deceive. Once a liar, always a liar!"

The words hit me like a physical blow. Once a liar, always a liar.

"There's no coming back from this," Jess continued, her voice breaking. "Some things can't be undone."

I watched as she stood up, gathering her purse and dignity. "I'm done, Mark. We're done."

The man—Mark—reached for her again. "Jess, please—"

"Don't follow me," she warned, her voice suddenly steel. "This is over."

She walked away, her back straight, her steps determined. Mark remained on the bench, his head in his hands.

"Once a liar, always a liar," I repeated softly to myself. "There's no coming back from this."

The words settled into my bones with a terrible finality. They weren't just Jess's words anymore—they were mine too.

I slipped away before Mark could notice me, returning to the empty streets of our neighborhood. By the time I reached home, something had hardened inside me—a resolve taking shape where confusion had been.

---

Morning came too soon. Michael was already in the shower when I emerged from the bedroom, having managed only a few hours of fitful sleep after my night walk.

I made coffee, moving through the familiar motions on autopilot. The kitchen felt foreign somehow—this space where I'd planned so many family dinners that would never happen.

"Good morning," Michael said cheerfully as he entered the kitchen, freshly showered and dressed in one of his tailored suits. "Coffee smells great."

I smiled mechanically, pouring him a cup. "Sleep well?"

"Like a baby," he replied, accepting the coffee with a grateful nod. "You?"

"Fine," I lied, watching his face for any sign of the liar beneath the husband.

He checked his watch. "I need to run. Early meeting downtown."

"Right," I said, setting his breakfast on the counter. "The emergency board dinner last night must have run late."

Michael paused, coffee cup halfway to his lips. For just a moment—so brief I almost missed it—something flickered in his eyes. Recognition? Alarm?

"Last night?" he asked carefully.

"Yes," I said, my voice casual as I stirred cream into my own coffee. "You mentioned it yesterday morning. Some crisis with the Asian markets?"

"Oh, right," Michael nodded, relief washing over his features. "It did run late. Didn't get home until after midnight."

I watched him closely as he launched into an elaborate description of the dinner—the restaurant they'd chosen, the specific dishes served, the animated discussion about market volatility.

"The salmon was overcooked," he said with a dismissive wave. "But the wine was excellent. A 2015 Bordeaux that James had been saving."

I nodded as though I believed every word, as though I hadn't seen him slip into bed at his usual time, as though I hadn't noticed his clothes were the same ones he'd worn to work.

"Sounds like an interesting evening," I commented, taking a sip of my coffee to hide the cold smile that threatened to form on my lips.

Michael glanced at his watch again. "I really should go. We'll talk more tonight?"

"Of course," I agreed. "Have a good day."

As he kissed me goodbye, I wondered how many times he'd done this before—crafted elaborate lies without hesitation, without guilt. The man I'd married was a stranger to me now.

After he left, I sat alone at our kitchen island, coffee growing cold before me. The test had been simple, almost childish in its simplicity. And he had failed spectacularly.

"Once a liar, always a liar," I whispered to the empty room.

I reached for my phone, opening my email. There was still time to apply for the Nordic research project—the one that would take me away for five years. The one Michael had dismissed as "impractical" when it would mean separation.

Perhaps it was time to be impractical.

My fingers hovered over the application link as I considered what came next.