Chapter 1

On Christmas Eve, I glanced down and saw my husband's spare cell phone on the dining table.

The screen suddenly lit up, and a private message preview appeared beside an ultrasound image:

“Baby, the doctor said our child is doing perfectly. Will you come to my room again after she falls asleep tonight?”

The sender was my best friend, Sienna, whom I had supported and cared for over the years—and who was currently sitting in the living room, smiling as she enjoyed a glass of nonalcoholic mulled wine.

A wave of excruciating stomach cramps and intense nausea made it almost impossible for me to stand.

Just two minutes ago, this place had been a heartwarming and enviable scene.

Snowflakes fluttered outside the window, and the pinewood crackled in the fireplace of the suburban mansion.

For this grand Christmas dinner, I had worked from dawn until dusk, meticulously roasting the turkey and ironing every inch of the tablecloth, all to give my family a perfect Christmas Eve.

Seven-year-old Leo and five-year-old Maya were laughing and playing around the giant Nordmann fir Christmas tree, eagerly awaiting their presents the next morning.

My husband, Julian, dressed in a sharp, expensive, custom-made dark suit, held a wineglass and embraced me in front of a room full of guests and business partners.

“To my beautiful wife, Nora,” Julian said tenderly in front of everyone, his eyes so gentle they could almost drip with affection. “Without her nine years of dedication to our family, I would have nothing.”

Amid the applause and cheers, he lowered his head and kissed the corner of my lips with what appeared to be sincere devotion and deep affection.

At that moment, Sienna, who was sitting next to me, even stood and raised a glass of nonalcoholic juice. With her eyes slightly red, she toasted me.

“Sister Nora, thank you for taking care of me these past few months. If you hadn't taken me in, I don't know how I would have gotten through my pregnancy. You and Julian are the happiest, most perfectly matched couple I've ever met.”

Three months ago, Sienna had claimed that her ex-boyfriend had abandoned her and left her homeless.

Feeling sorry for her because she was pregnant and alone, I had not only provided her with financial assistance but had also taken her into my home and cared for her meticulously.

Two months ago, when I broke down and cried in the hospital after failing to conceive, Julian held me and comforted me all night, saying that having me and our two children was enough.

Sienna had also held my hand with tears in her eyes and softly told me that the child in her belly would be like my own flesh and blood and would love me for the rest of my life.

So it had all been an act.

While I was at my weakest and most devoted to them, they had already conceived their illegitimate child right under my nose.

“Nora, what are you looking at?”

Julian's deep, gentle voice suddenly sounded behind me.

He was holding a bottle of red wine that he had just taken from the cellar. He walked up to me naturally, wrapped an arm around my waist from behind, and placed his palm against my back. The familiar scent of cedarwood cologne instantly filled my nostrils.

The scent that had once brought me immense peace now felt like a rotten poison, causing my stomach to cramp and my entire body to turn cold.

“It's nothing. I'm just a little tired.”

I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails almost dug into my flesh, forcing myself to speak calmly.

I slowly broke free from his embrace. His gaze passed over the long table and landed on Sienna, who was sitting on the living-room sofa.

She was wearing a loose, soft cashmere dress, with one hand resting discreetly on her flat stomach. She watched Julian walk back into the living room with a tender expression.

When she noticed my gaze, she did not panic. Instead, she looked up and gave me a sweet, dependent, innocent smile.

Then, right in front of me, she gently beckoned to Julian.

“Brother Julian, I'm feeling a little unwell again. Could you come and check whether the gift boxes by the fireplace have been arranged properly?”

Julian's eyes flashed with a hint of doting affection that would have been difficult for an outsider to detect.

He walked quickly toward her but said to me in a perfectly natural tone, “Nora, you don't look well. Sienna and I will help the children distribute the gifts.”

The two stood side by side beside the Christmas tree, their bodies almost touching as they smiled down at each other.

The room was filled with praise from our guests.

“Julian is such a considerate man. He even takes such good care of his wife's friends.”

I listened to their praise and looked at the impeccably dressed couple performing their flawless little act.

The pain inside me hardened into something cold and deliberate.

While Julian leaned closer to whisper something to Sienna, I reached for his spare phone, slipped it into my apron pocket, and quietly walked toward the guest bathroom beneath the stairs.

I locked the door behind me, pulled out his phone, and placed my thumb over the dark screen.