Chapter 1

For years, everyone said how lucky I was to have my boyfriend Lucas Hayes.

After all, he never missed picking me up from a single night shift.

But what they never saw was how his eyes always lingered on the girl next to me.

He'd say, "Night shifts are exhausting, and she's delicate. Schedule her for fewer."

Or, "She's young and doesn't look after herself well. The temperature drops at night. Make sure she wears a coat."

And once, "You can keep ordering iced drinks if you want, but her stomach is sensitive. Too much cold isn't good for her."

So on our seventh anniversary, I gave him a gift he'd always remember.

It was a wedding invitation, mine to a wealthy CEO.

*****

I set the table for a candlelit dinner, every dish made just the way Lucas liked it. Seven years together had made his tastes second nature to me.

Every year, we'd always plan a week ahead for the celebration.

I kept reheating the food, but Lucas never showed up.

If I had to guess, he was probably busy showing that new intern, Evelyn James, around.

I was zoning out, staring at my phone, when it suddenly lit up with a call.

"Nina, how are things between you and Lucas?" Lucas's mom asked.

"We're good," I said.

She sighed softly on the other end.

"Good? Lucas told me you're becoming the hospital's ice queen.

"It's not good for a woman to be too strong. Maybe you should take a page from Evelyn's book. She's so sweet and thoughtful.

"Last time Lucas brought her over for dinner, she was such a lamb, and even gave me a long shoulder massage!"

I clenched my fists instinctively. Lucas had brought Evelyn home, and I had no idea.

"I gotta go. Lucas is back," I said.

My chest felt stuffed, like it was packed with cotton. I pushed down all the emotions churning inside me and forced a smile in the mirror. No arguments tonight. There was something more important at stake.

The door swung open, and Lucas stepped inside, the cold still clinging to him.

He passed me a box, wrapped with care and looking almost too perfect to open.

"This is for you," he said.

I lifted the lid and found a rare academic volume inside.

I'd been hunting for this book forever. A bit of the heaviness in my chest eased, and I was just about to thank him when he reached into his briefcase and pulled out another copy, identical to mine.

My smile went stiff.

He didn't even notice, offering a casual explanation. "Evelyn's working on her thesis, so remember to give her the original. I made a copy for you, same content."

I stared at the copy in my hands. The paper was rough, the text blurry. My heart chilled, little by little.

I set the beef stew on the table in silence. It used to be his favorite.

As soon as I set the plate down, Lucas's phone lit up with a text from Evelyn.

[Lucas, my stomach hurts so bad.]

Lucas's brows furrowed instantly. He glanced at the food on the table and pushed the stew away without a second thought.

"Take it away," he said.

"Just looking at this reminds me how Evelyn can't handle spicy food at all. Even the smell makes her feel sick."

That was ridiculous. Evelyn wasn't even here. She couldn't possibly smell it.

Fighting back my anger, I turned to open the bottle of red wine I'd been saving for three years, but Lucas's hand pressed firmly down on mine.

"Forget about the wine," he said.

"What if Evelyn feels worse and calls me about her symptoms tonight? I need to stay clear-headed."

I finally couldn't hold it in anymore, my voice trembling. "Lucas, is this our anniversary, or are you just playing doctor for Evelyn online?"

Lucas blew up, his temper flaring as he started laying into me.

"Why are you being so unreasonable?" Lucas snapped.

"Evelyn's here all by herself, no family, no friends. She's sick. Shouldn't we, as her seniors, take care of her?

"Nina, can't you just have a little compassion?"

Before he could say anything more, his phone rang. It was Evelyn.

As soon as Lucas answered, Evelyn's voice came through, shaky and on the verge of tears. "Lucas, I feel so awful. I'm all alone in my dorm, and I'm really scared."

Lucas's expression softened immediately, his tone gentle. "Don't worry. I'm coming over now."

He hung up and headed for the door, but stopped at the table just long enough to snatch up the mille-feuille cake I'd made for our anniversary.

Without even glancing back, he tossed out a single line, "Evelyn's all alone. I'll bring her the cake to cheer her up."

I stood there, left with cold leftovers and that blurry photocopy, feeling like the punchline to a cruel joke.