Chapter 1

My phone buzzed with a traffic violation alert, completely unexpected.

I checked the record online, and there was a photo of the scene.

When I opened the full-size image, my entire body went cold.

It wasn't about the ticket. It was because sitting in the passenger seat of Richard Grant's car was a woman.

Richard was looking at her with a big smile.

Even with the grainiest, most pixelated quality, I recognized her instantly.

My fingers moved quickly, screenshotting and sending it to a friend.

The reply came almost immediately: [Wow, look at you two lovebirds, already acting all sweet before the wedding. Can't keep your hands off each other even while driving, right?]

I sighed, frustration simmering. With a slight tremble in my fingers, I typed back: [Look closely. Is that really me?]

*****

Richard and I had been together for six years, and he was legendary for how much he spoiled me.

If I so much as glance at something while we're out shopping, he'll buy it for me without even blinking.

No matter how packed his schedule was, he'd always make it home for dinner, just because he couldn't stand the thought of me eating alone.

Even when he was halfway across the world on business trips, he'd always come back with a gift he'd picked out just for me.

He'd say, "No matter where I am or what I'm doing, you're always on my mind, Sophie."

All those sweet nothings made me feel like I was living in a bubble of pure happiness.

I still remember the tears glistening in his eyes when he got down on one knee to propose.

And after I said yes, he held me tight, murmuring "I love you" again and again right next to my ear.

For six years, he spun this huge, dazzling dream for me. I really thought it would last forever.

But the moment I saw that girl, my whole world shattered.

It sent chills down my spine. She looked so much like me, and it was almost creepy.

She had the same long, curly chestnut hair and the same red dress as I did.

Before that, it never even crossed my mind that Richard would ever cheat on me.

After all, back then, everyone around Richard was living wild, always partying and hooking up.

In their world, having a steady partner was just for show, something to keep the family off their backs and maintain the illusion of a perfect life.

Back then, all those rich ladies in our circle used to envy me.

After all, someone like Richard, who remained untainted despite being surrounded by vice, was truly a rare breed.

Turns out, after six years of treating me like a queen, he couldn't escape the trap everyone in this crowd fell into, either.

Over the years with Richard, he'd always say I was too boring, like I didn't know how to keep things interesting.

"Sophie, your hair is so limp and lifeless. It looks like noodles from a hospital cafeteria," he laughed.

"Don't you ever get tired of those white dresses, Sophie? You look just like some innocent college girl," he teased.

He always hid what he really thought behind jokes, but I couldn't help but take them seriously.

As long as he brought it up, I'd try to be whatever he wanted.

So I got my hair curled and started dressing more daringly, just to please him.

The next time I showed up in front of Richard, I caught that flash of amazement in his eyes.

Even though he treated me like I was his whole world, I never felt truly safe with him.

I loved him so carefully, like I was always tiptoeing around, afraid to ask for too much.

But in the end, he still cheated on me.

I just couldn't give up. I dug through every corner of Richard's social media, hunting for any hint he might've slipped up.

Honestly, when it comes to catching cheaters, women are basically Sherlock Holmes.

He followed hundreds of people and had thousands of posts to sift through.

I spent the whole night glued to my screen, digging through all the likes of his mutuals, and I found her.

Her feed was packed with gorgeous, carefully curated photos.

She was beaming, her smile radiant and sweet, practically sparkling under the sunlight.

There were snaps of her making goofy faces on random streets overseas, and others of her skydiving, arms wide open, parachute trailing behind her.

She seemed to blossom, radiant in a way that felt almost magnetic, as though she could draw people right in.

I was deep-diving into everything she ever posted, and then I found the post where she proudly announced her relationship. In the photo, she was cheek-to-cheek with a blond, blue-eyed guy, her face glowing with pure happiness.

But the date was the exact same day Richard confessed his love to me.