Chapter 1
I came back after a business trip right before the Thanksgiving weekend, and my first stop was to inspect our newly purchased marital home.
The moment I pushed the door open, a glowing stream of live-stream comments suddenly materialized in mid-air right in front of my eyes.
[It's over. Of all times, why did the villainess have to come back now? The leads scramble into the freezer in panic.]
[Don't even go there. That freezer is at negative eighteen. The two of them are wedged in there so tight that they'll never crawl out alive.]
[The male lead might be able to tough it out, but the female lead is pregnant. They're going to freeze to death in there.]
I let out a scoff of pure disbelief. They actually had the audacity to carry out an affair in my new home.
Those cheaters were labeled the "leads"? Ridiculous.
Since they dared to pull this stunt in my house, I directly put the whole family on a conference call.
"Dinner's on me tonight. Everyone come over," I said smoothly. "And bring both sides of the family too. It's the perfect time for everyone to meet and check out the new place."
The floating comments instantly went wild.
[Has she lost her mind? She is gathering everyone together to serve up the leads as the main course!]
*****
The moment the call went through, a flurry of notification chimes echoed from the family group chat.
I kept my voice perfectly level. "Mom, you and Dad need to come over. Call my uncle's family too, and tell them not to show up empty-handed. Bring some holiday pies."
Then, the group went completely still for two seconds.
My husband-to-be's mother, Lily Grant, sent a text: [Emily, what is so urgent that you have to invite everyone over tonight? Andrew is still out of town entertaining clients.]
I stared at that line of text and smiled.
Andrew Grant, my fiancé, had video-called me last night, claiming he was drinking with clients in a neighboring city and would not be back until tomorrow.
Yet his black leather oxfords were currently sitting right in the entryway.
The toes of the shoes were stained with fresh mud.
I had personally picked out those exact shoes for our wedding.
"Mrs. Grant, Andrew is not out of town," I said and took my time swapping my heels for a pair of house slippers. "Whether he is here or not is something you can see for yourself if you come over tonight."
More comments floated across my vision.
[How does she know the male lead is there?]
[This is a disaster because Andrew forgot to hide his shoes.]
[Summer is about to cry. She said her stomach is cramping up.]
[Why doesn't this supporting character open the freezer immediately? I am dying of anxiety here.]
I lifted my gaze toward the kitchen.
The open-concept kitchen was spotless, yet two recently used water glasses sat on the dining table.
One glass bore a faint smudge of lipstick on the rim.
It was not my shade.
I never wore dusty rose.
Andrew used to say he preferred me in classic red because it was bold, vibrant, and full of life.
It turned out he did not actually like that color.
He simply enjoyed watching me dress up for him, loving the sight of me pouring my salary and savings into the perfect display window of a marriage he had carefully curated.
As for the woman he kept hidden away, she was the one who favored dusty rose.
"Emily."
The sound of the front door opening came from behind me.
My younger cousin, Chloe Summers, stood in the doorway holding two boxes of pastries, her face still carrying a trace of college innocence.
She said, "My mom said you were treating the whole family to dinner, so I came over early since I live nearby to see if you needed any help."
As she changed her shoes, she looked up and spotted the large chest freezer.
"When did you buy that thing? I thought Andrew said the kitchen was too small and forbade you from putting one in," she stated.
I didn't answer.
Instead, I bent down and pulled a pair of men's slippers from the shoe cabinet.
They were Andrew's.
The soles were completely wet.
Chloe's expression shifted. "Emily?"
I pushed the slippers back into their original spot. "Nothing. Head down to the supermarket downstairs and buy some fruit and drinks. Make sure to get some ice cream."
"Isn't there a freezer here?" Chloe asked.
"Yeah," I said, glancing at the silent freezer. "But it is completely full at the moment."
The floating text exploded again.
[Is she doing this on purpose?]
[Andrew is going to suffocate in there.]
[Summer's face has gone completely pale. She is carrying a child in there.]
[Open the door. Now! Emily is going to get them killed.]
The smile on my lips slowly faded.
The people having an affair were the ones who chose to hide in my freezer.
And they were acting as if I were the one trying to murder them.
I decided to let them wait a little longer.
I wanted the entire family to witness this circus and see for themselves who truly deserved to be kicked out of this house.