Chapter 2

I sat on the couch, clutching the divorce agreement. I stayed there for so long that night fell, and David came home.

When he saw the agreement in my hand, his face fell. "Wendy..."

"Stop," I cut him off. "Just answer my questions."

He nodded.

"Why didn't you divorce your wife?"

"Because she was pregnant. I couldn't let the child grow up without a father."

"So you decided to lie to me?"

"I'm sorry." David apologized again. I was really fed up with hearing those words.

"How old is your son?"

"Eight."

Eight years old. That was exactly how long we'd been married. So his son was born while we were already together.

"So you were with me, and at the same time, you were there with your wife, having a baby?" I pressed.

David didn't say a word. That was as good as an admission.

A coldness spread from my heart, chilling me to the bone.

I said, "David, you make me sick. Do you even realize how revolting you are?"

*****

I went to see a lawyer. He was my college classmate, Charles Reed.

I told him everything. He sat in silence for a long while after hearing me out. The office was so quiet, and the only sound was the ticking of the clock on the wall.

"Wendy, your situation is really complicated," Charles said. "From a legal standpoint, your marriage to David is invalid. He was still married to someone else when he married you. That's bigamy."

Bigamy. That word felt like a knife stabbing straight into my heart.

"So, does that mean my eight-year marriage was just a sham?" I asked.

Charles nodded. "Legally, that's right."

"Then what does that make me?" My voice shook. "Am I just a mistress?"

Charles looked at me with sympathy in his eyes. "Wendy, you're not a mistress. You're the victim here. David deceived you. He's the criminal."

But what good did it do? Legally, I was the victim. But to everyone else, I was the homewrecker, the other woman who destroyed someone else's marriage.

I remembered what my mom told me back then. She warned me that David's family background was unclear and urged me to be careful. But I didn't listen. I said I loved him. I said love was everything.

How ironic.

"What can I do?" I asked Charles.

"You could report it to the police," he said. "David could be charged with bigamy, which carries a sentence of up to two years in prison or criminal detention."

"And then what?"

"Then your marriage would be invalid from the start. You could sue him for compensation."

I let out a bitter laugh. "Compensation? What could he possibly compensate me for? My eight years of youth? My trust in love? My ruined reputation?"

Charles didn't say a word.

I knew there was nothing he could say. Some things, once they were gone, were gone forever. Not all the money in the world could buy them back.

"I want to meet her," I said. "David's wife. The real Mrs. Lawson."

Charles paused, looking a bit stunned. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I need to know if she knows about me. I want to find out what her life was like over these eight years. And I want to know if she hates me."

Charles was quiet for a while, and then nodded. "I'll help you track down her address."

*****

Three days later, I got David's wife's information. Her name was Olivia Sanders. She worked at a foreign company. Her son, Nathan Lawson, was eight years old.

I went to her office building and waited for a long time. Finally, I caught her as she got off work.

She was in a sharp business suit and heels, looking stunning. She was even prettier than in her photos. I followed her into a café.

She picked a spot by the window and ordered an Americano. I walked over and took the seat across from her.

Olivia looked up, saw me, and was briefly taken aback. Then she smiled.

"You must be Wendy," she said. "I've been expecting you for quite a while."

At that moment, my mind went completely blank. She knew about me. She'd always been aware of my existence.

"You... You know me?" I stammered, my voice trembling.

Olivia nodded. "Of course I do. I know you've been with David for eight years. I know you married him. And I know you believed you were Mrs. Lawson."

She spoke so calmly, like she was talking about someone else's story. Soft music played in the café, and outside, the street was bustling with traffic.

Everything seemed so normal. But to me, it felt like my whole world was spinning.