Chapter 2

The child's father was just like Nathan, only younger, better looking, and even more lovable.

Eight years into their marriage, the passion had dried up, and all those once-sacred vows had been blown away like dust in the wind.

Charlotte had fallen for Blake Monroe, the hotshot intern at her company, but she still couldn't let go of Nathan, the man who'd stuck by her side through thick and thin.

During the day, she wore the mask of a devoted wife, but when night fell, she lost herself in Blake's arms.

If Blake hadn't sent Nathan Charlotte's prenatal report, Nathan might've ended up raising someone else's kid.

Just two weeks ago, Nathan attended a business dinner in Charlotte's place.

All the big shots were there, and Charlotte had asked him to play nice, or the company's future would be at stake.

So, even though he hated it, Nathan had to keep drinking. He ended up in the hospital with a bleeding stomach ulcer.

It was during those days that the doctor dropped the bombshell. He had stomach cancer, and his time was running out.

Charlotte was away on a business trip to Farronia, so Nathan decided to wait until she got back to tell her.

But when she finally got back from Farronia, Charlotte moved into her office.

Even knowing he'd been hospitalized for a stomach ulcer, Charlotte only called to ask.

Listening to her distracted tone, Nathan didn't know how to bring it up, so he said he was fine.

Nathan drew in a deep breath. "I really miss you. Can you come home and stay with me tonight?"

Suddenly, Nathan heard a young male voice on the other end, saying, "Charlotte..."

Charlotte answered swiftly, "Okay. I miss you too. I'll be home soon."

Then she hung up in a rush.

Nathan realized it was Blake's voice.

Ever since Blake entered the company, Charlotte had always given him special attention and fast-tracked his promotions.

The office grapevine buzzed from time to time, with folks speculating whether Blake was favored by Charlotte.

One day, Nathan went to the office and, after overhearing some office chatter, headed upstairs to find Charlotte, only to walk in just as Blake was giving her a shoulder massage.

As soon as Charlotte saw Nathan, she immediately stood up and pushed Blake aside.

Blake got the hint and quietly slipped out.

Nathan's face darkened, but Charlotte wasted no time pulling him over to the couch and settling herself comfortably in his arms.

Charlotte said, "Honey, don't get the wrong idea. He's just like a brother to me. Honestly, he reminds me so much of you back in the day. Whenever I see him, it takes me right back to when we first started out. I always wished I'd treated you better then. I hate that you ever got caught up in my mess."

Just mentioning everything Charlotte had done for him in the past was enough to make Nathan's anger fade away.

He kissed her gently. "I trust you."

After that, even when Charlotte and Blake kept getting closer, Nathan kept reminding himself not to get all jealous.

If Blake left after his internship, Nathan would just pretend none of this ever happened.

He was so deeply in love with Charlotte that even if she really did mess up their marriage, he knew he'd never be able to blame her for it.

Then yesterday, out of nowhere, Nathan got a text from Blake.

[Hey, old man, you probably don't know how much Charlotte loves me. She's pregnant with my twins. It must've happened last month, when you were in the hospital with your stomach issues and Charlotte whisked me off to Farronia for a little getaway. Did she tell you that she was on a business trip? Check the nightstand, and you'll find out.]

Nathan stumbled into the guest room where Charlotte had been staying, and sure enough, there was a heavy stack of things in the nightstand.

It turned out to be a scrapbook, packed with travel records and sweet snapshots from their trip to Farronia.

The dates matched up exactly with the days Nathan was hospitalized and got his cancer diagnosis.

In those pictures, Charlotte looked seductive and uninhibited, nothing like the woman Nathan thought he knew.

Nathan had never made things hard for Charlotte. He was always gentle with her.

He never imagined that when she was with another man, she'd be like this.

In Charlotte's own handwriting, it read, [Traveling to Farronia with Blake, just the four of us.]

Nathan's world was shattered.

But deep down, he knew Charlotte would never let him go.

Even though she'd moved on from him, that possessiveness she had never disappeared.

If Nathan even suggested divorce, she'd totally freak out.

So, he made up his mind to head off to Zwish and disappear from Charlotte's world for good.

*****

Snapping back to reality, Nathan signed his name on the thick stack of consent forms and confidentiality agreements the doctor handed him.

The doctor looked at him and said, "Mr. Quinn, you should start getting ready. You'll be leaving for Zwish in three days. Oh, and there's one more thing..."

"What is it?" Nathan asked.

"This whole thing is secret. Everyone involved has to fly out together. If all these folks just vanished overnight, people would definitely notice.

"So, Zwish is putting out fake news—a staged plane crash that'll make the world think you're dead. Three days from now, Nathan Quinn won't exist anymore."

Nathan let out a laugh. "Wow, you guys really have everything covered. Honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better way to make my exit."