Chapter 3

Daniel’s car reached the lake house forty minutes before mine. From across the road, I watched my husband come home to his other family.

Daniel parked beside Sophie’s car.

Before he could reach the front door, it opened.

A little boy ran outside.

"Daddy!"

Daniel lifted him and kissed his cheek.

The child laughed and wrapped both arms around Daniel’s neck.

Sophie walked down the steps and kissed Daniel.

Then she took his briefcase while Daniel carried the boy inside.

They looked like a family welcoming someone home.

I stayed inside my car with both hands around my phone.

For two years, I had watched Daniel sit stiffly during adoption meetings.

He said he was afraid he would not know how to be a father.

I had comforted him.

I had told him we would learn together.

He had not needed to learn with me.

He had already learned here.

With Sophie and their son.

I crossed the road and stopped beside the living room window.

The curtains beside the living room window were partly open.

I stayed out of sight and raised my phone.

Inside, Daniel sat on the floor with the boy.

Sophie brought him a cup of coffee.

She knew exactly how he took it.

Daniel drank from a blue mug I had bought for the lake house years ago.

The boy climbed onto his back.

Daniel laughed and pulled him into his lap.

"Noah, let Daddy breathe," Sophie said.

My hand tightened around my phone.

Noah.

My finger stopped above the screen.

Years ago, Daniel and I had chosen that name for our future son.

We had been lying in bed when I said it.

"Noah Bennett," Daniel had repeated.

Then he smiled and placed his hand over my stomach.

At the time, I was not pregnant.

We still believed I would be one day.

I had never told Sophie that name.

Daniel had.

He had given our child’s name to their son.

I looked through the window again.

Then Daniel carried Noah toward the hallway. Sophie followed.

With them gone, I could see the photographs on the wall.

There were pictures of Noah as a baby.

His first Christmas.

His first birthday.

Daniel appeared in almost every frame.

One photograph was larger than the others.

Sophie stood beside the lake, one hand under her pregnant stomach.

Daniel stood behind her with both hands over the baby.

The date was printed in the corner.

I knew that month.

Sophie had told me she was sick then.

She had lost weight because she could not keep food down.

At least, that was what I believed.

I had brought her soup.

I had cleaned her bathroom.

Daniel had sat beside me in the waiting room while Sophie saw the doctor.

I remembered thanking him for supporting my friend.

But I had been personally taking care of my husband's pregnant mistress.

I raised my phone.

I took three clear photos of them acting like a perfect family.

Then, I drove back to our penthouse.

I pulled a suitcase from the closet. I packed my ID, my mother's jewelry, my work laptop, and my clothes.

I also packed Lily's adoption file.

I left every expensive dress and watch Daniel had ever bought me.

The anniversary necklace stayed inside its box.

I removed my wedding ring and placed it in the center of the dining table.

Beside it, I placed the clinic payment from 846 days ago.

Then I added a photograph of Daniel holding Noah.

I put Lily’s approval notice next to them.

On the back, I wrote:

I planned to tell you we could finally become parents.

But you were already a father.

The mother just wasn’t me.

I changed my private passwords.

At 11:07 p.m., I had checked into a hotel in Bellevue under my maiden name. Daniel knew the lake house, my father’s address, and every friend I might call; he did not know this hotel.

My phone showed a smart-lock alert.

FRONT DOOR UNLOCKED — DANIEL.

I opened the security camera.

Daniel entered the dark house holding my favorite anniversary cake.