Chapter 1

I stared at Charles's wrist across our dinner table, the soft lamplight catching on something I hadn't noticed before. A delicate bracelet made of what appeared to be long, dark hair wrapped intricately around his wrist. My fork paused halfway to my mouth as I studied it, feeling an inexplicable chill despite the warmth of our apartment.

"What's that on your wrist?" I asked, my voice steadier than I expected. Three weeks postpartum, and I was still learning to navigate the emotional tidal waves that crashed through me without warning.

Charles's hand jerked slightly, his sleeve pulling down to cover the bracelet. "Oh, this? Just a lucky charm for work."

"Made of hair?" I pressed, setting my fork down. Our daughter slept peacefully in her bassinet beside us, oblivious to the sudden tension filling the room.

"It's nothing, Eliza." His tone sharpened. "A business associate gave it to me for career success. Chinese tradition or something."

I reached across the table, tugging his sleeve back before he could react. The bracelet was even more intricate up close – long strands of silky hair woven together with what looked like red thread. Something about it seemed intimate, personal in a way that made my stomach clench.

"Since when do you believe in lucky charms?" I asked, withdrawal my hand as if the bracelet might burn me.

Charles sighed dramatically. "God, Eliza, it's the hormones making you paranoid. The doctor said this might happen."

His dismissal stung, but not as much as the way he'd covered the bracelet. After dinner, while Charles was in the shower, I found myself drawn to his briefcase. He'd been leaving early each morning, claiming long hours at the office to make up for the paternity leave he'd taken when our daughter was born.

I snapped the locks open, expecting to find work documents, contracts, something to explain his supposed fourteen-hour workdays. Instead, the briefcase was nearly empty – just his tablet, a phone charger, and a half-eaten protein bar.

No papers. No files. Nothing that suggested he'd been working at all.

My hands trembled as I closed it, mind racing. While feeding the baby, I made a quick call to his secretary, using the excuse of needing to send some documents.

"Oh, Mrs. Spencer," she said, sounding surprised. "Charles hasn't been to the office since before your delivery. I assumed he was taking time off to be with you and the baby."

The room seemed to tilt slightly. Three weeks. He'd been lying for three weeks.

When Charles emerged from the bathroom, I was waiting, arms crossed despite the ache in my healing body.

"Your secretary says you haven't been to the office in three weeks," I said, watching his face carefully. "Where have you been going every day, Charles?"

His expression darkened. "You checked up on me? Seriously?" He ran a hand through his damp hair. "I've been working remotely, from cafés, the library – places closer to home so I could get back quickly if you needed me."

"And tonight's work meeting?" I asked, remembering how he'd kissed me and the baby goodbye just an hour ago, briefcase in hand.

"Important client. Downstairs in the recovery center's restaurant." He checked his watch pointedly. "And I'm going to be late."

Sleep evaded me after he left. Our daughter woke for a feeding, and as I rocked her back to sleep, a decision crystallized. I called the night nurse – a luxury Charles had insisted upon – and asked her to watch the baby for thirty minutes.

"Just need some air," I explained, slipping into a loose dress that hid my still-healing body.

I followed Charles's path to the elevator but watched as he pressed the button for the top floor – not the restaurant level. My heart pounded as I waited for the next elevator, punching the same button with a shaking finger.

The top floor was restricted – a premium lounge for VIP patients. Through the glass doors, I saw them immediately. Charles and a woman with long, dark hair that cascaded down her back – the same shade as the bracelet around his wrist. They stood close, his hand on her waist, her head tilted up toward his. As I watched, frozen, he leaned down and embraced her intimately.

I pushed through the doors, the sound making them both spring apart. The woman turned, and I recognized her instantly – Aria Wilson, Charles's ex-girlfriend from college.

"Eliza!" Charles's face drained of color. "What are you doing here? You should be resting!"

"What am I doing here?" My voice sounded distant to my own ears. "What are you doing here, with her?"

"You're not thinking clearly," Charles said, stepping toward me with his hands raised placatingly. "The doctor warned us about postpartum depression, hallucinations—"

"Don't you dare," I hissed, backing away from his outstretched hand. "I'm not hallucinating your affair, Charles."

"Affair?" He laughed nervously. "I'm just comforting an old friend through a difficult time. You're being irrational."

Behind him, Aria watched with an expression I couldn't read – something between triumph and pity that made my blood boil.