Chapter 1

The once meek wife finally held all the cards. "You think you're worthy?" she asked.

On our third anniversary, I set up a special candlelit dinner. Meanwhile, Andrew Hall, my husband, was choosing jewelry with Janice Gellar, the woman he really loved.

I later discovered a young Janice's photo in his study. Her face was almost a mirror of mine.

It hit me then—for three years of marriage, I was just her replacement. Pathetic.

"I want a divorce." After losing the baby that night, I slipped off my ring and vanished.

Three years on, I turned heads at a business event. Andrew's eyes were pleading. "Ceci, come home with me."

I gave a cold smile and splashed my wine right in his face. "Mr. Hall, this late in the game, your affection means nothing."

*****

I was busy preparing dinner in the kitchen when the knife suddenly slipped and cut my finger. A sharp pain shot through my hand as blood started to well up.

I couldn't help but hiss through my teeth and quickly pressed a paper towel against the cut, my face tight with discomfort.

Today marked our third wedding anniversary. I had taken the day off just to cook a nice meal for Andrew and me.

The table was set with candles, red wine, steak, and his favorite Black Forest cake.

I even put on that pretty dress Andrew once said he liked. I don't usually wear much makeup, but that night I went all out—even painting my nails that soft pink he adored.

By nine o'clock, Andrew still wasn't home.

I picked up my phone, hesitated for a moment, and then finally tapped his name to call.

The dial tone buzzed in my ear.

It just kept ringing—no answer.

I bit my lip, feeling uneasy, and sent a text: [Hey, Andrew, are you coming home for dinner?]

There was no reply.

I stared at my phone, a chill slowly spreading through my fingertips.

Later, while I was scrolling through my phone with nothing better to do, a TikTok video popped up.

The caption said: [Thank you for the gift. You really get me.]

It showed a photo taken at a jewelry counter. Looking closely, I saw a tall figure reflected in the glass.

My heart sank. My finger scrolled down almost on its own.

I would recognize that man anywhere. It was Andrew.

The woman was holding his arm, smiling sweetly up at him. He was looking down at her with soft, affectionate eyes.

He never showed me that kind of tenderness, not in three whole years of marriage.

I kept staring at the picture, my throat tight and my eyes stinging with tears.

So that was it. He wasn't just busy. He was avoiding our anniversary.

I took a deep breath, turned my phone over on the table, and started clearing the table.

The candlelight flickered over the food I had prepared so meticulously. It looked almost ridiculous now.

My husband was with someone else on our anniversary.

I dropped onto the sofa, picked up my wine glass, and drank it all in one go.

Right then, the doorbell rang. After a moment of surprise, I went to answer.

Andrew stood there, his suit perfectly neat, his gaze cool and serious. He held a beautifully wrapped gift box.

"You're back," I said, forcing a faint smile.

He just nodded and passed me the box. "This is for you."

I felt a bitter laugh rise inside. Did he actually know what today was, or was this just an empty gesture?

I opened the box. A necklace lay inside.

It was pretty, but... nothing like the one I saw in that woman's TikTok post.

A sharp pang went through my chest, and my eyes instantly welled up.

"Thank you," I whispered, trying hard to keep my voice steady.

Andrew changed his shoes and walked straight to the living room. He glanced at the set dinner table and frowned. "You haven't eaten?"

"I was waiting for you," I replied quietly.

His frown deepened, and his tone turned cold, almost impatient. "You know how busy I am with work. Next time, just eat without me."

I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms.

"Alright," I said quietly.

Without another word, he turned and went straight to his study. He didn't even glance at the cake I had worked on for hours.

I stood there frozen, my heart heavy with disappointment.

Then my phone buzzed again.

A message from an unknown number appeared: [Hi, this is Janice Gellar. I heard it's your anniversary with Andrew tonight. My apologies. It's my fault for keeping him out shopping and ruining your evening. I hope you're not upset with me.]

I could almost see her smug look through the screen.

Staring at the message, my fingers turned cold.

I took a deep breath and decided to ignore it. I was ready to block the number.

Then another message came through: [By the way, Andrew bought me a diamond necklace today. I suggested he get you one too, but he said you wouldn't really wear anything that fancy—that something simple would be more your style. You're okay with that, right?]

Wouldn't wear something that fancy?

I stared at her words, and suddenly the whole thing just felt ridiculous.

She was obviously flaunting, making sure I knew that even my gift from Andrew was just a cheap afterthought—like I wasn't worth anything better.

I closed my eyes for a moment, set my phone aside, and walked over to the study door. I knocked softly.

"Andrew, can I come in?" I asked.

There was a long pause before his voice came through, cold and distant. "Come in."

I pushed the door open and saw him sitting at his desk, buried in paperwork, not even bothering to look up.

"What is it?" he asked, his tone flat.

I pressed my lips together, trying to work up the courage to speak. "Today... is our wedding anniversary."

He finally looked up at me, his gaze cold and indifferent. "So?"

It felt like a whip had lashed my heart, and my voice was barely a whisper. "I just wanted to have dinner with you."

He frowned, his tone sharp and impatient. "Cecilia, I'm really busy. I don't have time for you to act up right now. Can you seriously just try to understand where I'm coming from?"

Seriously? He thought I was acting up?

So all my hopes and all the effort I put in... To him, it was just me being unreasonable.

I bit down hard on my lip, eyes stinging, stubbornly holding back my tears.

"I know," I whispered, forcing myself to sound calm.

Just as I was about to leave, something caught my eye—a photo frame sitting right there on his desk.

The photo showed a teenage Andrew, beaming alongside a woman whose smile was just as dazzling.

And that woman looked so much like me, it was almost creepy.

I froze, a cold realization washing over me.

So that was it. I was just her substitute. My heart dropped straight into the abyss.