Chapter 1

My husband was unusually eager that night. Then my phone buzzed. My best friend had sent me an intimate photo. Cold sweat broke out all over me. If my husband was cheating, then who exactly was kissing me right now?

My husband suddenly leaned in. "Hey, focus. Who are you chatting with?" I jerked so hard that my phone smacked me in the face. He looked worried at once. "Did that hurt? Do you want to go to the hospital?"

I wanted to laugh, but I didn't dare, so my expression came out all wrong. "No, no. I'm fine." My husband seemed to forget about the phone and kept kissing the spot on my forehead. "There. A kiss from your husband and it won't hurt anymore, okay?"

I could feel the warmth of his lips. I was one hundred percent sure he was real, alive, and right in front of me. So why was he also in Emily Carter's bed? Maybe the photo she'd sent me had been taken earlier.

My chest tightened. David Miller cheating? No way. He was the kind of man who had payroll deposit his entire paycheck straight into my bank account. Besides, the photo was obviously AI-generated. Even so, it still made my skin crawl.

David tried to keep things going, but I said I needed to use the bathroom. He gave me a dirty grin. "Was it because of what we were just doing...?" Normally, I would've teased him right back, but now I couldn't get a word out.

When I came out of the bathroom, David was propped up against the headboard, looking at his phone. The second he saw me, he scooted over like an eager puppy. "Babe, come here. Hurry up. Those oysters tonight weren't for nothing."

No matter how I tried to rationalize it, I couldn't keep this up. David noticed something was off. "What's wrong? Did I do something wrong? Tell me and I'll fix it." I knew he treated me well, both financially and emotionally.

Before I could say a word, he blurted out, "Did Emily start talking crap again? Did she accuse me of cheating again? She has no shame. She can't stand seeing you happy and wants to wreck our marriage."

"Give me your phone. I want to see what nonsense she's making up. If she's slandering me, I'm calling the police."

David tried to take my phone, but I wouldn't let him. Emily was dressed too revealingly in the photo, and I didn't want him seeing it, which only made him more certain she was stirring things up.

"Babe, block her and delete her already. How many times has she accused me of cheating? Why are you still so naive? Was she your savior or something?"

That shut me up. Emily had never saved my life, but she really had been my best friend back in school, like a sister, like family. Whenever she said David wasn't good enough, I'd just laugh it off and avoid talking much about my marriage. After all, only the two people in a marriage really know what it's like. David had always treated me well, and even my parents liked him. Looking at it now, maybe Emily had been after my husband all along. Maybe that was why she'd kept badmouthing him.

After steadying myself, I wrapped my arms around David. "I get it now. Tomorrow I'll find time to talk things out with her and make this our final goodbye." Only then did he relax. He kissed me, held me, and soon fell asleep. But I lay there wide awake, the image replaying in my mind.

Just then, my phone lit up again. Emily had sent a video. This time it was a close-up of my husband. No AI fake could recreate the small mole hidden on his rear.

It was well hidden. I was supposed to be the only one who knew about it. So how did Emily know? Then her text popped up: [Your husband is amazing. I cried my eyes out...]

I shot upright out of David's arms. Squinting sleepily, he sat up too. "Babe, what's wrong? Come here, let me hold you. Be good and go back to sleep." His arms were warm, but I felt freezing cold.

My husband was right beside me at that very moment, so how could he also be with Emily? Was there really some secret I didn't know? I asked, "Honey, do you have a twin brother?" David's eyes flew open. "How did you know?"