Chapter 2

Morning light filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of our penthouse dining room, casting long shadows across the marble table where Marcus sat scrolling through his tablet. I set down his coffee—black with one sugar, exactly how he liked it—and tried to still the trembling in my fingers.

"The quarterly reports look promising," he said without looking up. "Sterling Industries might expand into Asian markets by next year."

I nodded, forcing my lips into what I hoped resembled a smile. "That's wonderful, darling."

Had his voice always held that note of detachment when he spoke to me? Or was I only noticing it now, after hearing how it softened when he talked to her?

Marcus glanced up, his brow furrowing slightly. "Everything alright? You look pale."

"Just tired," I lied, my hand instinctively moving to my stomach before I caught myself. The baby—our accident—was still my secret. "I didn't sleep well."

"Take a nap later," he suggested, already looking back at his screen. "I'll be at the office until late."

Again. Like every night this week.

I excused myself and retreated to the kitchen, where I pulled out the silver tea service my mother-in-law had given us as a wedding present. I hadn't used it once in two years of marriage, but today I needed something mindless to occupy my hands.

I polished each piece methodically, watching my distorted reflection in the curved silver surface. Who was this woman with the haunted eyes? When had I become so fragile that I could shatter from words not even meant for me to hear?

By the time I heard Marcus leave for work, my breathing had steadied. The silver gleamed like new money, and I had almost convinced myself I could maintain this facade indefinitely.

Almost.

---

The bedroom was dark when I heard Marcus return home. I feigned sleep, listening to the familiar sounds of him undressing—jacket hung precisely in the closet, cufflinks placed in their leather case, shoes lined up perfectly.

When his breathing deepened into sleep, I slipped out of bed and found his phone on the nightstand. I'd never checked it before. Trust had been the foundation of our relationship—or so I'd believed.

The screen illuminated my face in the darkness as I entered his password: my birthday. How touching that he'd chosen something so personal, even as he betrayed me.

There it was, the first message in his texts: Victoria Hayes. My chest tightened as I opened the conversation.

"Perfect little fool, she still suspects nothing," the latest message read, sent just hours ago.

I stared at those words until they blurred, imagining Victoria's perfect red lips curving into that cruel smile I remembered from prep school. The same smile she'd worn when she'd cut off my hair while I slept during a school trip. When she'd spread rumors that I'd slept with a teacher. When she'd convinced the entire senior class to turn their backs when I walked into prom.

And now she was doing it again, with my husband as her willing accomplice.

My finger hovered over the message before I deleted it, then carefully placed the phone exactly where I'd found it. My hands shook so violently I had to press them against my thighs as I slipped back into bed.

Beside me, Marcus stirred. "Bella?" he murmured sleepily.

"Just getting some water," I whispered, turning away from him as tears slid silently down my cheeks.

---

"Those peonies are wilting," Victoria observed, running one manicured finger along the edge of my dining table. "And honestly, Bella, crystal stemware for afternoon tea? So formal."

I gripped the teapot tighter, forcing myself to pour without spilling. "I thought it would be nice for your visit."

She'd arrived unannounced an hour ago, dressed impeccably in a white sundress that made her look like she'd stepped out of a Ralph Lauren advertisement. I was still in my yoga pants, hair pulled back in a messy ponytail.

"How thoughtful," she said, her voice dripping with condescension. "You always did try so hard."

I set the teapot down carefully. "What brings you by, Victoria?"

She smiled, that same smile from the text message. "Can't old friends catch up? Besides, I hardly see Marcus these days with all his late-night business trips."

My stomach dropped. "Business trips?"

"Oh," she said, feigning surprise. "I assumed you knew. He's been working so hard lately. Sometimes until dawn, poor thing."

The room seemed to tilt slightly as her implication settled over me. Marcus hadn't been on any business trips. He'd been coming home every night—late, but home.

Unless...

"More tea?" I asked, my voice sounding distant to my own ears.

Victoria's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she held out her cup. "Please. And do tell me, Bella—how are you feeling these days? You look... different."

Her gaze dropped deliberately to my midsection, and in that moment, I knew with absolute certainty that she knew about the baby. Which meant Marcus had told her. My secret wasn't mine at all.