Chapter 1

Ever since I learned that my father's six affairs drove my mother to jump to her death, I knew one thing: good men weren't born. They were trained.

So when I noticed my husband taking the Affidavit of Shared Residence with him every day before work, I joked to my best friend, "See? I've got him trained.

"Every time we fight, I threaten to remove him from the affidavit, and now he's too scared to step out of line."

My best friend didn't laugh with me. "Don't push it. You're not as pretty as she is, and you only had a kid. You're not exactly in a strong position."

I was about to ask who she meant by "she" when a message came in: my husband couldn't make it for our Valentine's Day date.

The next day, I grabbed the Affidavit of Shared Residence and headed to the county clerk's office without telling anyone.

But when I handed it over, the clerk gave me a strange look. "Ma'am, your husband petitioned to have his name struck from your Affidavit of Shared Residence two years ago."

I froze. I had never actually filed to have his name removed. How had he gotten it removed on his own?

Swallowing the sinking feeling in my chest, I asked the clerk for the address listed on his new Affidavit of Shared Residence.

The drive took me to a villa on the outskirts. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I could see a lively first-birthday party going on inside.

My mother-in-law, my best friend, and all my husband's closest friends were seated around the table.

*****

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I saw Edward Bennett, my husband, holding a child as he cut the cake.

He looked so gentle, almost like a whole new man.

My mother-in-law stood nearby, smiling, while Ryan Brooks, Edward's childhood friend, filmed everything on his phone.

Even Grace Miller, my bestie, was laughing, calling out, "Look at Daddy, sweetheart."

Standing in the shadows of the trees, my hands were shaking so badly I could barely hold my phone as I dialed Edward's number.

I fixed my gaze on his back and asked, "Where are you?"

When the call connected, Edward hesitated for a moment.

But the next second, he walked out onto the terrace as if nothing had happened, his voice so casual I'd never guess he was hiding anything. "Honey, I'm at work. Didn't I tell you this morning?"

I didn't confront him. I asked him one last time. "It's Valentine's Day. Are you really not coming home tonight?"

Edward rubbed his temples, playing the 'I'm swamped at work' card like he always did. "Babe, I swear, I'm slammed at work today. I really can't leave. You should—"

Before he could finish, I hung up, dropping my phone to my side, my fingers aching from how tightly I'd been holding it. Then I turned and walked away.

As soon as I walked out of the villa neighborhood, my mother-in-law sent me a voice message. "Charlotte, Edward's out there making money for the family.

"Stop threatening him with that Affidavit of Shared Residence stuff. You can't stir up drama every time things don't go your way."

Right after that, Ryan sent a video call request. "Charlotte, I'm on a business trip with Edward. Answer the call. I'll show you the meeting room."

I didn't expose them. I said, "No need. I trust him."

As soon as I got home, Grace was standing right at my doorstep, her eyes red from crying. "Charlotte, I got dumped again. Will you hang out with me for a while?"

I looked at her, and for a moment, it was like I was seeing her for the very first time.

Back in college, she got played by some scumbag, and I used up all my living expenses to bail her out.

When she kept getting rejected for jobs, I begged my uncle to pull some strings and get her a gig.

When she had a fever of 104, I carried her three blocks to the hospital myself.

After all these years, I'd come to see her as my own sister.

I stepped back from her. "Grace, don't worry. I won't try to file to strike Edward off the Affidavit of Shared Residence anymore."

She paused, and then her shoulders finally dropped, the tension leaving her face. "Glad you finally figured it out. Edward loves you, but if you keep stirring up drama, he's gonna get worn out too."

"Yeah." I opened the door. "You should go home."

She hurried off, not even bothering to come up with a name for her latest ex.

After changing my shoes, I walked into my daughter's room. As soon as I logged into my alternate account, I saw Grace's latest post on her feed.

In her nine-photo post, Edward was on one side, Olivia Lane on the other, both holding the child.

My mother-in-law was slipping a gold bracelet onto the little girl's wrist, and Grace captioned it: [Happy first birthday, little princess. May you always be surrounded by love.]

Olivia was Edward's first love.

Back then, she claimed she'd never get married and headed overseas with a college acceptance letter in hand.

Later, Edward spent four years pursuing me. He'd pull me into his arms and say, "That obsession from my youth wasn't real love."

I zoomed in on the photo.

Inside the bracelet, tiny words were engraved: [A father's gift for peace].

I turned off my phone, looked down at my sleeping daughter, and squeezed my eyes shut, forcing down the wave of bitterness rising inside me.