Chapter 2

"Sorry to interrupt," I said, standing up and fixing Zoey with a sharp look. "But... your baby girl? So you cheated on your husband ?"

Zoey acted as if she'd only just noticed me, slowly detaching herself from David and smoothing down her messy hair.

She smiled, "Oh, Sylvia, you're here. Please don't be upset. My husband just died, and David is the only man who can fill the father-shaped hole in Lily's life. In her eyes, he's no different from her real dad."

As she lifted her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, she made a point of flashing the gold ring on her finger.

As I stared at that familiar ring, something stabbed painfully at my heart.

When David and I first got married, we didn't have much money to our names.

In our intimate moments, he'd look at me and promise, "One day, when I can afford it, I'm going to buy you a solid gold ring. Just show it off to all your friends."

On my birthday last month, I was doing his laundry when I spotted that ring tucked away in his pocket.

My heart started racing. I was so sure he was finally planning a surprise for me.

But just like always, my birthday didn't go as planned. David ran off as soon as Zoey called, leaving me alone yet again.

We had a huge fight that day, and the whole ring thing just slipped my mind.

And now, here it was, gleaming on Zoey's finger.

My mood soured instantly.

David frowned. "Sylvia, don't say that. Reputation is everything. How's Zoey supposed to show her face after what you just said?"

Seeing David stand up for Zoey like that really hurt. But I didn't want to make a scene in the hospital room.

But Zoey just had to act all understanding. "David, I'm sure Sylvia didn't mean it. She only said that because she cares about you so much. Women get jealous, and that's just how we are."

David's face softened a little, but when he looked at me, there was nothing but annoyance in his eyes.

Of course I could see through Zoey. Women know these tricks best.

She pretended to stick up for me, but all she really did was make me look like the crazy jealous wife.

"Hey, Sylvia, why don't we swap numbers? If you ever can't reach David, you can always call me," Zoey chirped with a grin.

Her tone was so matter-of-fact that it was like she was David's wife and I was just the side piece.

Letting out a sarcastic snort, I whipped out my phone and added her without missing a beat.

I thought I'd braced myself, but the minute I scrolled through Zoey's Instagram, it felt like someone stabbed me right in the heart.

Every post was like a record of her days with David, a diary of their shared past.

Even back when Zoey's husband was still around, David was always using business trips as an excuse to sneak off and travel with her.

While I was home, worn out from caring for our kid, they were off chasing the Northern Lights, playing in the snow, or tearing across open grasslands without a care in the world.

In every picture, even if they never said "I love you," the way they looked at each other, with pure reliance and affection, was plain as day.

I was furious, shoving my phone right in David's face. "Seems like you spend way more time hanging out with Zoey than you do with your own wife. David, do you really think that's okay?"

David just shrugged, totally unfazed, and said calmly, "Come on, you know her husband's always busy with work and barely ever home. She's lonely living by herself. I'm just keeping her company, and that's all."

I closed my eyes, feeling utterly hopeless.

There was no point arguing with someone who was determined to live a lie. David was never going to see it, because he didn't want to.

I stormed out of the hospital room and immediately called a private investigator.

Since I was set on divorcing David, there was no way I'd let Zoey get her hands on our money. I needed hard evidence to make sure David walked away with absolutely nothing.