Chapter 2

I sat in my study, Brianna’s voice replaying relentlessly in my mind. I thought of the times I’d accompanied Julian to the vineyard, yet I’d never seen anyone named Brianna there. I found Chloe’s SnapChat and typed out a message.

**[Help me dig into Yuanhe Vineyard and Julian.]**

I fought down the terror rising in my chest, my typing fingers trembling.

**[I need every single transaction and recent itinerary for Julian. Everything,]** Tears welled in my eyes, but I stubbornly refused to let them fall, clinging to a shred of rationality. **[Julian might be cheating.]**

I had just hit send.

Julian’s voice came from behind me.

“Audrey.”

He walked over, his face etched with an apology.

“A company project suddenly hit a snag,” he said, his voice troubled as he looked at me. “I promised to spend time with you, but I really can’t sort this out from here. I have to go.”

He gently stroked my head.

“I’ll be back as soon as I’m done,” he said, holding his phone. The screen was lit, and I saw a SnapChat chat box still open. I gripped his hand tightly, asking him, “Can’t you just not go?”

Normally, Julian would sense the change in my tone, would see the vulnerability hidden in my eyes, and my phone screen that I hadn’t had time to turn off.

But Julian didn’t. He was focused on leaving and his SnapChat, merely explaining with forced patience.

“I’ll be back soon, don’t make a fuss.”

His voice was tinged with urgency. “Audrey, you’re always so understanding, don’t make this harder for me.”

I felt like a balloon suddenly deflated, sitting numbly as Julian rushed out without even a proper goodbye. My tears finally fell, silently. It was then I truly understood: there really are no faithful cats when there’s cream to be had.

Chloe called me. “Julian actively financed and launched a project at Yuanhe. This whole thing smells fishy.”

Chloe sent me documents.

“The whole of Yuanhe is saying Julian poured a fortune into promoting someone. No one at Yuanhe dares to joke around with that girl.”

Chloe’s voice turned cold. “I heard Yuanhe is having a celebration party at The Grand Astoria Hotel.”

“Julian didn’t go, right?”

That last flicker of hope in my heart completely shattered.

I looked at the dinner Julian had prepared on the table: the peeled shrimp, my favorite sweet soup, and the roses placed nearby. It suddenly hit me—Julian had said, “Audrey! Did you forget? Today is actually our wedding anniversary.”

Our wedding anniversary.

Julian still chose someone else, still left me here alone. Even though I’d said I didn’t want him to go, I didn’t want him to leave, I wanted him to stay—he still walked towards the person he was more concerned about.

“I’m going to The Grand Astoria.”

I told Chloe.

“Even if my marriage is ending, I need to know what kind of person I lost to.”

I had imagined who I might lose to: a sophisticated, elegant woman, or perhaps someone vibrant, bubbly, and younger. But I had never, ever imagined this.

When I saw her, sitting next to Julian, calling him "Julesy" in that sweet, syrupy voice—she was so utterly unremarkable, I wouldn’t remember her face if I saw her on the street. She had no real style, wore ordinary clothes, her hair was casually tied back, and her face was bare as she hugged Julian’s arm, laughing.

“Julesy.”

“They’re trying to get me drunk.”

Spoiled rotten by his favoritism, the girl pointed at the businessmen at the table.

“I told them my Julesy is a knight and would protect me, but they didn’t believe it. They said you have to talk to them yourself.”

In the private room.

Those men laughed, flattering him. “That’s why Brianna has such unique taste! She either goes for nothing or snags a golden goose like this!”