Chapter 1

I was eight months pregnant when I got into a car crash on my way to a prenatal checkup. The baby didn't make it, and I was told I could never have children again.

My loving CEO husband held me in his arms, swearing it didn't matter. He said, "You can't have kids? So what? I'll spoil you like you're my daughter for the rest of my life."

I believed him, becoming a dutiful housewife.

One afternoon, I surprised him at his office with some soup and overheard him talking to a friend.

His friend said, "Damn, Josh, you actually brought Erin and your son back from overseas? Aren't you scared your wife will lose it when she realized the truth?"

My husband said, "Lose it? Tracy can't have kids, so why shouldn't I have one with someone else?

"Besides, Erin doesn't want me to exhaust myself by traveling to see her and our son all the time. Neither does she want me to miss out on our son growing up. I'll feel better when they're back in the country anyway."

His friend laughed. "You're such a bastard. Tracy is really unlucky. Just one call from you and not only did she lose her baby but she can never have another child again."

My husband snickered. "Feeling sorry for her? I'll give her to you if you like."

I stood there frozen.

So it was my husband, the man who swore to love me, who was behind all my misery.

While he was busy playing perfect husband with me, he was spoiling his ex and their child behind my back.

A scumbag like him deserved to be kicked to the curb immediately.

*****

I kept wishing this was just a nightmare, but their voices were clear as day, echoing in my ears.

His friend said, "Josh, Tracy's a good woman. Don't even joke about stuff like this."

My husband, Josh Sanders, retorted, "She's a good woman, but what about Erin? Erin has stuck by me for six years and never asked me to marry her. I owe her a lot."

His friend said, "You owe her, but don't you owe Tracy too? She's your wife. Is this really fair to her?"

Josh's voice grew cold. "Back then, there were tons of wealthy socialites fighting to marry me. If she hadn't taken advantage of me when I was drunk, do you really think she'd be my wife now? I was generous enough not to divorce her."

Hearing those words, I felt like my world was spinning and could barely keep myself upright.

I wanted to cry, but there was a lump in my throat, making it hard to even breathe.

Josh added, "But to be fair, Tracy is a good wife. She loves me with everything she's got, but she'll never be able to take Erin's place."

He knew I loved him,

That was why he was so sure I'd never leave him, and why he could just trample all over my feelings without a care in the world.

It felt like my heart was being ripped to shreds, but I forced myself to hold it together and quietly walked away.

As soon as I stepped outside, I dumped the soup I'd spent all afternoon making straight into the trash. I wandered off, totally spaced out, leaving my car behind and stumbling through the pouring rain all the way home.

As soon as I walked in, I saw several photos of a boy hanging on the wall right across from the door.

Josh had brought the photos home, saying they were pictures of his friend's kid, and that he'd just taken the boy in as his godson.

Those photos had been up for three years.

The boy's eyes and eyebrows looked just like Erin's, and his face and mouth were a carbon copy of Josh's. I couldn't believe I'd never suspected a thing.

I yanked the photos off the wall, letting the glass frames slip from my grasp and smash onto the floor.

With a shattering crash, jagged shards of glass littered the ground. It was just like my relationship with Josh, broken and impossible to piece back together.

I was so lost I didn't even care that I was drenched, stumbling blindly onto the couch. Before I knew it, tears were pouring down my face, and my gut-wrenching cries filled every inch of the empty house.

My phone kept buzzing, and it took me a while to wipe away my tears and check it. It was a verification request from someone named "Erin Loves JS."

I wondered if Erin couldn't wait to stir things up the moment she got back to the country.

Still, I went ahead and accepted it.

A message popped up. [Tracy, it's Erin Booker. I'm back!]

It was not just a provocation—it was a declaration of war. I was still staring blankly at my phone when Josh walked in.

He saw the mess of broken frames on the floor, and for a moment, I caught a flicker of fury in his eyes. But he smoothed it over in an instant, putting on a gentle face as he said, "Babe, why are you so careless? Did you get hurt?"

He rushed over and took my hand, looking genuinely worried—not just putting on an act.

But the scent of some other woman's perfume clung to him, making me sick to my stomach. I quietly pushed him away.

"I'm fine," I said.

He cupped my face, finally noticing my swollen, red eyes. "Why are you crying? Did someone hurt you?"

Seeing the fake concern on his face, rage and despair surged inside me like a tsunami.

Unable to hold back anymore, I shouted, "Josh, how much longer are you going to keep lying to me?"

My voice was trembling so hard I could barely get the words out.

When I first lost the baby, my moods were all over the place and I'd break down at the drop of a hat. But he'd always pull me into his arms, gently pat my back, and tell me over and over that it would all pass.

Those days felt like they were just yesterday, but looking back, it seemed more like a dream I never really lived.

With reality hitting me, all that warmth was gone, replaced by cold, hard truth.

Funny how habits work. I still found myself wanting his comfort, even after all he'd done.

When Josh saw me losing it, a flicker of panic flashed in his eyes. "Babe, what are you even talking about? What have I ever lied to you about? You're the only one I've ever truly loved!"

But right then, his phone started ringing.

I could see the screen clear as day: "Erin Honey" was calling.

He pressed his lips together, walked away from me, and answered.

Even just looking at his back, I could tell he was freaking out. "I'll be right there."

He turned around and tried to calm me down, his voice soft. "Abigail just called. There's an emergency at the office. I have to go handle it."

I snorted. "Isn't Abigail on her honeymoon overseas?"