Chapter 1 · My Husband's Secret Life

My husband, Leo Hale, had been cheating on me for twenty years.

And for twenty years, I played dumb.

We never raised our voices at each other once.

Everyone praised me for being the perfect, understanding wife.

That was, until his mistress's son was about to land a cushy government job. The background investigators needed to interview me.

The time for a showdown had finally arrived.

*****

I was out on the balcony watering the gardenias when Iris Shaw, Leo's mistress, called.

The white petals were blinding in the afternoon sun.

I let the phone ring three times before answering.

"Ada. It's Iris," came Iris's voice on the line.

Her voice dripped with triumph. She sounded like a lottery winner desperate to brag.

I set the watering can down and wiped my hands.

"What do you want?" I asked coolly.

"Ryan got the job at the Mayor's Office." She paused, clearly waiting for my reaction. "The background investigators are coming to your house tomorrow. You know what to say, right?"

Ryan.

Ryan Hale. Her and Leo's son. He was twenty-two, exactly one year younger than my daughter, Bella.

I stayed silent.

"Don't ruin the boy's future over your petty jealousy," Iris warned. Her tone took on a sharp edge.

"Got it," I said.

"You better!" My flat response seemed to enrage her. Her voice spiked in pitch. "Leo's on his way home. You can talk to him yourself!"

She hung up on me.

I stood on the balcony, looking down at the courtyard. An older woman was slowly pushing a stroller. The sunlight was warm and golden on her back.

Not long after, the front door unlocked.

Leo walked in. His face was glowing, and he held a dark green jewelry box.

"Hey honey, I'm home." He handed me the box with a massive smile. "Ryan really did us proud. The Mayor's Office! The kid has a bright future."

He rubbed his hands together, pacing the living room.

He looked incredibly smug. "When the investigators come tomorrow, make sure you put in a good word. You know how things are with our family."

He watched my face carefully. Twenty years. He was too used to me just nodding along.

"Okay." I nodded.

My eyes drifted to the wall calendar. I had circled today's date in red a long time ago.

Leo let out a massive sigh of relief. "I knew you'd be reasonable."

He laughed and patted the jewelry box. "Open it. It's a brand-new release. I bought it just for you."

I didn't move.

Instead, I pulled out my phone and dialed a number. It connected on the first ring.

"Mr. Ramsey," I said. "We can begin."

The living room fell dead silent. Leo's smile was still plastered on his face. His muscles hadn't had time to react.

Without looking at him, I turned and walked straight into the study.

I hired Attorney Dylan Ramsey three years ago. During our very first meeting, he flipped through the mountain of documents I had brought him.

He sat in total silence for a few minutes and finally looked up at me. "Mrs. Hale, your chain of evidence is so flawless it is genuinely chilling."

The bottom drawer of the study desk was locked. I knelt, turned the key, and pulled it open.

There were no legal files inside, just a small metal tin.

I opened it to reveal a yellowed hotel receipt resting quietly inside.

It was twenty years old.

It was from the exact day I had my first bout of morning sickness. I had been throwing up endlessly, but my heart was full of joy. I couldn't wait to tell Leo the good news.

Instead, I reached into the pocket of his discarded suit jacket and pulled out this receipt.

He claimed he was entertaining a client, had too much to drink, and just grabbed a room nearby to sleep it off.

I believed him.

Or rather, I chose to believe him.

But from that day forward, I started keeping track of every single one of his "business expenses."

I stood up and opened the wall safe.

There was no gold or jewelry inside, just stacks of thick ledgers, neatly organized by year. Twenty years' worth. Not a single year missing.

I pulled out the top one, which was also the thinnest, and flipped to the first page.

[May 21, 2002. Neon Dreams Lounge, 460 dollars. Note: Bought Iris a birthday gift.]

[July 3, 2002. Macy's, gold necklace, 700 dollars. Note: Iris said she liked it.]

[September 16, 2002. Mercy General Maternity Clinic, 1,000 dollars. Note: Iris's prenatal checkup.]

Entry by entry. My handwriting was as meticulous as a corporate balance sheet.

Footsteps sounded behind me.

Chapter 1

My husband, Leo Hale, had been cheating on me for twenty years.

And for twenty years, I played dumb.

We never raised our voices at each other once.

Everyone praised me for being the perfect, understanding wife.

That was, until his mistress's son was about to land a cushy government job. The background investigators needed to interview me.

The time for a showdown had finally arrived.

*****

I was out on the balcony watering the gardenias when Iris Shaw, Leo's mistress, called.

The white petals were blinding in the afternoon sun.

I let the phone ring three times before answering.

"Ada. It's Iris," came Iris's voice on the line.

Her voice dripped with triumph. She sounded like a lottery winner desperate to brag.

I set the watering can down and wiped my hands.

"What do you want?" I asked coolly.

"Ryan got the job at the Mayor's Office." She paused, clearly waiting for my reaction. "The background investigators are coming to your house tomorrow. You know what to say, right?"

Ryan.

Ryan Hale. Her and Leo's son. He was twenty-two, exactly one year younger than my daughter, Bella.

I stayed silent.

"Don't ruin the boy's future over your petty jealousy," Iris warned. Her tone took on a sharp edge.

"Got it," I said.

"You better!" My flat response seemed to enrage her. Her voice spiked in pitch. "Leo's on his way home. You can talk to him yourself!"

She hung up on me.

I stood on the balcony, looking down at the courtyard. An older woman was slowly pushing a stroller. The sunlight was warm and golden on her back.

Not long after, the front door unlocked.

Leo walked in. His face was glowing, and he held a dark green jewelry box.

"Hey honey, I'm home." He handed me the box with a massive smile. "Ryan really did us proud. The Mayor's Office! The kid has a bright future."

He rubbed his hands together, pacing the living room.

He looked incredibly smug. "When the investigators come tomorrow, make sure you put in a good word. You know how things are with our family."

He watched my face carefully. Twenty years. He was too used to me just nodding along.

"Okay." I nodded.

My eyes drifted to the wall calendar. I had circled today's date in red a long time ago.

Leo let out a massive sigh of relief. "I knew you'd be reasonable."

He laughed and patted the jewelry box. "Open it. It's a brand-new release. I bought it just for you."

I didn't move.

Instead, I pulled out my phone and dialed a number. It connected on the first ring.

"Mr. Ramsey," I said. "We can begin."

The living room fell dead silent. Leo's smile was still plastered on his face. His muscles hadn't had time to react.

Without looking at him, I turned and walked straight into the study.

I hired Attorney Dylan Ramsey three years ago. During our very first meeting, he flipped through the mountain of documents I had brought him.

He sat in total silence for a few minutes and finally looked up at me. "Mrs. Hale, your chain of evidence is so flawless it is genuinely chilling."

The bottom drawer of the study desk was locked. I knelt, turned the key, and pulled it open.

There were no legal files inside, just a small metal tin.

I opened it to reveal a yellowed hotel receipt resting quietly inside.

It was twenty years old.

It was from the exact day I had my first bout of morning sickness. I had been throwing up endlessly, but my heart was full of joy. I couldn't wait to tell Leo the good news.

Instead, I reached into the pocket of his discarded suit jacket and pulled out this receipt.

He claimed he was entertaining a client, had too much to drink, and just grabbed a room nearby to sleep it off.

I believed him.

Or rather, I chose to believe him.

But from that day forward, I started keeping track of every single one of his "business expenses."

I stood up and opened the wall safe.

There was no gold or jewelry inside, just stacks of thick ledgers, neatly organized by year. Twenty years' worth. Not a single year missing.

I pulled out the top one, which was also the thinnest, and flipped to the first page.

[May 21, 2002. Neon Dreams Lounge, 460 dollars. Note: Bought Iris a birthday gift.]

[July 3, 2002. Macy's, gold necklace, 700 dollars. Note: Iris said she liked it.]

[September 16, 2002. Mercy General Maternity Clinic, 1,000 dollars. Note: Iris's prenatal checkup.]

Entry by entry. My handwriting was as meticulous as a corporate balance sheet.

Footsteps sounded behind me.