Chapter 1

The title deed of my million-dollar apartment bore only my name.

It was my father's last line of defense for me. Everything of his was sold to give me this foothold.

But I never expected that, less than a year into my marriage, that line would be crossed.

I came home early that day. The moment I opened the door, an unfamiliar perfume hit me.

The master bedroom door was half-open, and a woman sat at my vanity, applying my most expensive lipstick.

I recognized her. She was my husband's first love, the one he'd never quite gotten over.

My mother-in-law popped her head out of the kitchen. "You're back? Emily came by today, and I let her try some of your makeup. You don't mind, do you?"

I glanced into the living room. My father-in-law was lounging on the sofa, and my husband was feeding the woman's dog bits of sausage.

I didn't say a word. I turned and walked downstairs, straight to the police station at the neighborhood entrance.

Half an hour later, the police showed up at my door. My mother-in-law's face went blank.

*****

That day, I got off work early. When the elevator stopped on the 18th floor and the doors slid open, I sensed something was off.

There was a pair of women's shoes by my door. Silver stilettos, with a bit of mud still stuck to the soles.

I stood there for a couple of seconds, then took out my keys and unlocked the door.

As soon as I stepped inside, a strange perfume hit me. It was so sweet it made my head ache.

The TV in the living room was turned up way too loud.

My father-in-law, Richard Harper, was sprawled out in the middle of the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table, food debris littering the floor.

He gave me a lazy look. "You're back?" His tone made it sound like he was the king of the house.

I didn't respond. I saw someone moving around in the kitchen.

Linda Harper, my mother-in-law, popped her head out, still holding my apron. My dad bought it when he visited for dinner and said the color was perfect for me.

Linda was wearing it, half covered in oil stains. She smiled, acting like nothing was wrong. "Charlotte, why are you home so early today?"

I stared at her.

She added, "We've got a guest, so don't give us that face."

Guest? I glanced over at the master bedroom. The door was half open.

I could hear a woman's laughter inside, and my husband, Adam Harper, was saying, "Don't mess with her stuff. She's got a ton of things, and she'll throw a fit if she can't find her stuff."

The woman said in a sweet voice, "I'm trying it out. She's not that petty, is she?"

My fingers curled. That voice was all too familiar.

Three months after we got married, Adam left his phone unlocked, and I saw a top chat. The contact was saved as Emily, with a profile pic of her by the beach.

Adam said it was an old classmate.

I didn't make a scene. I asked him, "Why is an old classmate texting you in the middle of the night, saying, 'I'm still used to having you around'?"

Adam frowned and said, "Charlotte, not everything is as shady as you think. Stop overthinking it."

Later, he deleted the chat. I thought that was the end of it. But this time, she was in my master bedroom.

I walked over, my steps slow and heavy, as I pushed open the master bedroom door.

Perched at my vanity was a woman with long, curly hair in a white dress, a little dog sprawled comfortably at her feet.

She was holding my lipstick, pressing her lips together in the mirror. I'd bought that with my bonus last month and had barely even used it myself.

Adam was behind her, a bag of ham in his hand as he crouched down, playing with the dog.

When the door opened, both of them turned around at the same time.

The woman froze for a second, then smiled. "You must be Charlotte, right?"

She put the lipstick back, acting like she owned the place. "I'm Emily Foster."

I stared at her hand. There was still some of my foundation on her fingers.

I didn't say a word.

Adam straightened up, looking a little awkward. "Don't get the wrong idea. Emily got back from overseas and didn't have anywhere to crash, so my mom let her hang out here for a bit."

Emily bit her lip. "Sorry, I didn't realize this room was off-limits."

Linda came over with a plate of food. "Why bother with all these boundaries? We're family. There's no need for so many rules."

She set the plate down on the table and waved me off. "Emily and Adam grew up together. They're like family to us."

I shot Adam a look. "Since when do 'family' barge into someone else's master bedroom and use their makeup?"

Adam's face clouded over. "Charlotte, do you have to start something the second you walk in?"

Emily immediately stood up. "Adam, don't say that. I'll go." But her feet stayed right where they were.

But then the dog suddenly scrambled onto the bed, its paws leaving two dirty streaks on my sheets.

My dad had just changed the bedding last week, and now there were gray marks right across it.

My heart instantly turned cold.

My dad sold his old store back home and drained every dollar he'd saved over the years so that he could buy this place outright for me.

One million dollars, all paid in cash. The deed? Only my name on it.

He told me, "Charlotte, I can't risk your marriage on a guess. This house is your safety net, your last fallback."

But at this moment, my husband's first love was sitting right in the place that was supposed to be my escape.

My in-laws were wandering in and out of the kitchen and living room like they owned the place.

My husband was feeding another woman's dog.

I laughed.

Adam frowned. "What's so funny?"

I pulled out my phone and snapped a pic of the master bedroom.

Emily's face fell. "Why are you taking my picture?"

I didn't say a word. I turned around and walked straight to the door.

Linda hurried after me. "Charlotte, what kind of drama are you stirring up now?"

I paused at the entryway, slipped off my shoes, and changed into another pair.

"Adam, do something about your wife!" Linda snapped.

Adam's voice was tight with anger. "Charlotte, get back here and explain yourself."

I pulled the door open. The hallway outside was bright.

I glanced back at them. "Someone will be here soon to clear things up for you."