Chapter 1

My husband James Carter and I had decided to embrace a childfree life, relishing the carefree days of our two-person world.

Then, one fateful day, the police showed up at our door. They informed us that a little girl who had gone missing had identified James as her father.

The officer looked a bit awkward and said, "Mrs. Carter, we've checked this kid. On the birth certificate, the mother's name is blank, and the father is listed as David Smith."

I quickly replied, my brows knitted in confusion, "Officer, there's some mistake. My husband's name is James Carter, not David Smith, and we've never had kids."

Before I could say more, James bent down and lifted her into his arms. He said, turning to me with a forced smile, "Honey, this is my long-lost little sister. I took Mom's last name, and she took Dad's."

A pang of unease shot through me. Suddenly, this marriage that I thought I knew so well seemed like a maze of secrets. What other skeletons were hiding in the closet?

*****

The doorbell rang right as I was rocking a face mask, all set to kick back with James for a chill weekend.

I opened the door to find two cops in uniform, and standing with them was the cutest little girl.

"Is Mr. Carter home?" one of the officers asked.

I gave a nod and stepped aside to let them in.

James came out of the study, and when he saw the cops, his smile froze for a moment.

The little girl's eyes instantly sparkled when she saw him. She wriggled free from the officer and bounded over to James, crying out, "Daddy!"

It was like a buzzer went off in my head, my skin prickling under the sheet mask.

My mind blanked for a moment.

James and I had been married for five years, and we were both dead set on staying child-free.

James scooped up the girl, his movements a little stiff. When he looked at the cops, there was a flicker of panic in his eyes—something I'd never seen before.

The lead officer hesitated, clearly feeling awkward.

"So, we found this lost kid in the park. She kept insisting she was looking for her dad and pointed straight at this building. We checked her birth certificate..."

He then handed me a copy.

I took it, my eyes immediately landing on the space for "father."

It said: [David Smith.]

The mother's name was left blank.

I blurted out, "Carter's not Smith—and we don't have any kids."

The air seemed to freeze.

James tightened his grip on the girl, took a deep breath, and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Officer, it's all just a misunderstanding," he said.

He then turned to me, and his voice sounded unusually firm—nothing like I'd ever heard before.

"This is my sister. I took my mom's last name, Carter, and she took my dad's—Smith. Our family situation is complicated. She was raised by relatives, and we lost touch for years. I've been searching for her ever since."

I stared at him, my mind spinning.

His eyes wouldn't meet mine, and the whole explanation was shaky at best.

We'd been together since college, and I'd never once heard him mention a father named Smith, let alone a long-lost sister.

The cops clearly thought his story was a stretch, but since the girl had found her "family," they didn't press any further.

They just gave us a couple of reminders before heading out.

The moment the door closed, I rounded on James. "What on earth is going on? What sister?"

James kept his back to me, holding the girl close, his voice muffled. "Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. She's my sister. Her name's Lily, and from now on, she's living with us."

He didn't give me any chance to question him further. Holding Lily, he headed straight for the master bedroom.

"Lily's just come back, she's a little scared. I need to help her settle in," James said, not looking at me.

I stood frozen in the middle of the living room, watching as he carefully placed Lily on our bed. A sinking feeling crept over me.

Suddenly, everything about this home felt foreign.

That night, James told me to sleep in the guest room, saying his "sister" needed someone to keep her company.

I lay wide awake on the icy guest bed, sleepless for the whole night.

From the master bedroom drifted James' gentle, coaxing words as he lulled Lily to sleep—something he'd never once done for me.

My husband curled up in our bed, holding a mysterious little girl who called him "Daddy," while I had no clue who she really was.

All here I was, feeling like I didn't belong here anymore.