Chapter 1

I arrived at the Westchester Grand Hotel an hour early, my arms laden with bouquets of white lilies and blue hydrangeas—David's favorites. The ballroom gleamed under crystal chandeliers, tables arranged in a perfect semicircle around the small stage where the jazz quartet would play later. Everything had to be flawless for my husband's birthday celebration.

"Mrs. Miller, where would you like these centerpieces?" A young server approached me, holding a box of crystal vases.

"Center of each table, please," I replied, smoothing down my cream silk blouse. "And make sure they're evenly spaced. Mr. Miller notices details like that."

I'd spent weeks planning this surprise party. David had been working so hard lately, barely coming home before midnight. I wanted to show him how much I appreciated everything he did for us—how he'd built his company from nothing while I managed our home.

My phone buzzed. Eleanor, my adoptive mother, again.

"Linda, don't forget to ensure the champagne is properly chilled. And do check that the photographer knows to capture David's best side."

I tucked the phone away without responding. Mother's voice echoed in my head anyway: "A woman's value is in supporting her husband properly." I'd heard it my entire life.

The server returned. "We're missing some champagne glasses in the VIP suite. Would you mind checking if there are extras in storage?"

"Of course," I said, setting down my clipboard.

The hotel had given us access to the VIP area for David's closest business associates. I made my way down the corridor, my heels clicking against the marble floor. The door to the suite was slightly ajar, and I pushed it open, expecting to find empty champagne crates.

Instead, I found my husband.

David's pants were around his ankles, his white shirt untucked and stained with what looked like red wine. He was pressing a young woman against the wall—her legs wrapped around his waist, her head thrown back in ecstasy.

My cousin Nicole.

The air left my lungs in a silent rush.

"Harder, David," Nicole moaned, her eyes closed in pleasure. "Your wife would never let you do this."

That's when I noticed what she was wearing. My wedding dress. The vintage lace gown I'd stored in the hotel's bridal suite for tonight's "memories" display.

David's rhythm didn't falter as he opened his eyes and met mine in the mirror on the opposite wall. No shock registered on his face—only a smirk spread across his lips.

"Perfect timing, Linda," he said, not stopping his movements. "Help Nicole fix her dress when we're done. The zipper's been sticking."

Nicole turned her head, her lips curling into a cruel smile when she saw me frozen in the doorway. Her eyes glittered with malicious triumph.

"Oh, Linda," she purred, deliberately tightening her grip on David's shoulders. "Didn't David tell you? He prefers younger women now. More... fertile ones."

I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. The room seemed to tilt beneath my feet.

"Faster, brother-in-law," Nicole gasped, emphasizing the last word with a mocking lilt. "Show Linda how a real woman satisfies you."

David laughed—a sound I once loved—and quickened his pace. "You heard her, Linda. Stay if you want to learn something."

I backed away, bumping into a table. A vase teetered and crashed to the floor, shattering into a thousand glittering pieces.

Neither of them even flinched.

It took another five minutes before David finished, pulling out and adjusting his clothes with casual indifference. Nicole slid down the wall, her lipstick smeared across her face, my wedding dress torn at the seam.

"Clean that up before the guests arrive," David instructed me, nodding toward the broken glass. "And fix the dress too. We can't have anything looking messy tonight."

He approached me, straightening his tie as if nothing had happened. "You're old, loose, and boring compared to her," he said matter-of-factly. "But don't worry—I'm not leaving you. You're still useful."

Nicole giggled, slipping into the bathroom to freshen up.

"The party starts in two hours," David continued, checking his watch. "Act normal tonight. Smile, play the perfect wife. No one needs to know about our arrangement with Nicole."

"Arrangement?" I whispered, finding my voice at last.

"She's moving in next week. You'll get used to it." He brushed past me toward the door. "Oh, and Linda? That dress looks better on her than it ever did on you."

The door closed behind him, and Nicole emerged from the bathroom, still wearing my wedding dress.

"He's right, you know," she said, examining her reflection in the mirror. "You should see yourself—thirty-five and already washed up. No wonder he comes to me."

I fled.

The bathroom down the hall became my sanctuary of horror. I locked myself in a stall and emptied the contents of my stomach into the toilet. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I trembled against the cool tile wall.

When I finally looked up at my reflection in the mirror, I barely recognized myself. Hollow eyes stared back at me from a face that had grown thinner over the years of trying to please David. Trying to be the perfect wife Mother had raised me to be.

From somewhere down the hall came Nicole's cruel laughter, followed by David's deeper chuckle.

I gripped the edge of the sink until my knuckles turned white.

In that moment, something inside me cracked—and something else entirely took its place.