Chapter 1

"Hey, Boss Lady! Boss and that lady are out in the garden, burying something shady!"

Once I figured out how to talk to birds, my parrot basically became my personal spy.

She spilled the beans. My so-called loving husband had been sneaking around with my best friend for ages.

It turned out they weren't just after my money. They wanted me gone for good.

I kept up the act, pretending I had no clue, until my parrot suddenly squawked, "Run! That anniversary surprise they've got for you is not a cake. It's a shovel!"

*****

I was burning up for three days and nights straight.

When the fever finally broke, everything changed in my ears. Those chirps outside my window weren't just random noise anymore. They were actual conversations.

"David downstairs left his window open again today, so I snatched half his cookie!"

"The caterpillars on that tree over west are huge! Let's all go feast on them tomorrow!"

I thought I was just hearing things after the fever, like my mind was playing tricks on me.

But then, Tracy, my parrot of three years, opened her beak and spoke right at me.

Tracy said, "Boss Lady, you're finally back! I was about to suffocate in here!"

My hand trembled so much that I spilled water all over the floor.

When I didn't respond, Tracy started frantically jumping around her cage.

"Hey, don't doubt me! I really can talk. It's just that you finally understand me now!" Tracy squawked.

I stared at her for a whole minute, my mind completely blank.

Benjamin gave me Tracy for our second wedding anniversary. He said she'd keep me company whenever he was too busy.

For three years, all she ever did was mimic us, saying things like "Hello" or "Time to eat," or just make random noises.

But now, she was speaking clearly and making perfect sense.

I pinched myself, and it hurt. This wasn't a dream.

I took a deep breath and asked tentatively, "Tracy, what did you just say?"

"I said I was about to suffocate!" Tracy flapped her wings. "Every single day, I have to sit here watching you all chat away. I can only listen and can't speak to you. It's driving me crazy!"

Just as I was still reeling from the shock, the door suddenly opened.

Benjamin walked in, holding a steaming bowl of mushroom soup.

He had that same gentle smile on his face, placed the bowl on the nightstand, and gently reached out to check my forehead.

"Awesome, your fever's finally gone. Hungry? I made your favorite, creamy mushroom soup," he said.

His voice was as gentle as ever, and he was just as thoughtful as always.

He'd been like this for five years. To outsiders, we were the kind of couple everyone envied, a picture-perfect match.

I looked at Benjamin, and my heart felt soft and warm.

Maybe being able to understand birds wasn't such a bad thing. Actually, it was pretty entertaining.

Just then, Tracy dropped her voice, sounding all conspiratorial as she chirped at me like she was spilling secrets.

To Benjamin, it was just ordinary bird noises. But to me, it hit like a thunderclap.

"Boss Lady, while you were asleep yesterday, he kissed that woman Nikita!" Tracy chirped.

Nikita. My best friend, Nikita Briggs.

My heart felt like it was caught in a vice, and I could barely breathe.

I shot a look at Benjamin, who was stirring the mushroom soup with a spoon. The morning light made his profile look extra soft and gentle.

He caught me staring and looked up, flashing me that warm smile. "What's wrong, Anya? Why are you staring at me like that?"

I tried to speak, but I couldn't get a single word out.

Tracy's voice kept going, every word felt like a poisoned dagger twisting in my chest. "They even said your insurance money is so much, it's enough to set them up for life!"

Insurance money...

Two years ago, my parents died in a plane crash, leaving me a massive inheritance and a huge accident insurance payout.

I was shattered, but Benjamin and Nikita stuck by my side, helping me deal with all the aftermath and slowly pulling me out of the darkness.

I thought they were the anchors I could always rely on.

But now, Tracy was telling me that all they cared about was my money. They wanted me dead.

All the blood in my veins turned to ice.

Benjamin saw how pale I looked and asked, "Anya, are you feeling okay? Want me to call a doctor?"

I looked at his face, so full of "concern," and my stomach twisted.

Five years of marriage, and ten years of friendship. Were they all just a lie?

I couldn't believe this. I couldn't turn on my husband and my best friend just because of something a bird said.

Maybe Tracy just picked up random words and twisted them. Maybe the fever messed with my head, and I was still hearing things.

I forced myself to calm down and gave him a smile that was more like a grimace than anything else.

"I'm fine, just a bit dazed from waking up," I said.

I needed proof. I needed real evidence to show whether my husband and my best friend truly loved me, or if they were just devils in disguise.