Chapter 1

Dolly, our parrot, was a real chatterbox. My husband, Edward, joked about sending her to singing lessons.

But after she came back, Dolly barely said a word.

It wasn't until Edward went on a business trip that Dolly came back to life, showering me with her nonstop chatter.

"Baby, you're so pretty! Baby, kiss kiss!"

"Baby, white dress. I love it!"

I froze for a second, then called Edward. "Where did you send Dolly?"

Edward replied gently, "I had Jasper take her to the pet shop for a couple of days. She didn't learn any songs, but she ended up not talking at all."

I hung up, feeling distracted. Dolly was clearly mimicking Edward's tone.

But after that happened, I never wore a dress again.

So who was this "baby" in a dress that Dolly kept chirping about?

*****

I set down the folded clothes, my heart clenched tight.

After a few seconds of hesitation, I threw a few things together and had the driver take me straight to Edward Maddox's hotel.

As soon as I stepped out of the car, his assistant, Jasper Hoffman, walked toward me. He took my luggage and led me to the banquet hall.

Edward spotted me right away, a little tipsy, and snuggled up to me, acting all affectionate.

"Honey, what brings you here? You never like these parties, do you? Every time I have to come to these things, I'm always left all alone."

Hearing him say that, I couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

Ever since that incident, I had been steering clear of any crowded places.

I never got involved in any of the company's outside dealings.

To help me feel at ease, Edward always took Jasper with him to social events. No women, no companions, which often meant he'd be forced to drink more.

"Well, I missed you, so I just had to come find you," I said softly.

I reached out to steady him, feeling a pang in my chest. "Why'd you drink so much? Jasper really should've kept a closer eye on you."

"Don't blame Jasper. I can still hold my liquor," Edward said.

Edward's flushed face leaned in, nuzzling my neck affectionately. Then he mumbled, "Honey, how come you don't smell sweet anymore?"

I frowned. "Honey, I never wear perfume. You know that."

Edward's body tensed for a moment, then he just muttered a few more drunken words to cover it up.

"Mr. Maddox, don't go just yet! Come on, have another drink!"

Mr. Durham, our longtime business partner, hurried after us.

Edward waved him off. "My wife's here to get me. Let's drink together next time."

"Oh, it's Mrs. Maddox! Huh, that's odd. I thought you were wearing a dress earlier. When did you change?" Mr. Durham said, eyeing me curiously.

He kept muttering to himself, unable to hold back his confusion.

But before he could say anything else, his friends quickly covered his mouth and dragged him off, all of them grinning awkwardly.

Goosebumps prickled my skin, and then I heard a soft, flirty voice call out from behind me.

"Mr. Maddox, I brought you some hangover medicine!"

I spun around and saw a sweet, innocent-looking girl with barely-there makeup, dressed in a white dress so dazzling it nearly made my eyes hurt.

Her eyes were locked on Edward as she hurried over, her smile sweet and playful while she handed him the medicine. "You know your stomach can't handle all that booze, but you still drink so much! Take this, okay? Make sure you listen!"

A soft scent tickled my nose, and suddenly, something about it felt strangely familiar.

Back when we first brought Dolly home, I'd noticed that same orange blossom fragrance clinging to her feathers.

"Who is she?" When he sobered up, I asked him bluntly.

Edward tightened his grip on his water glass, putting on a relaxed front. "She's the new secretary, Jessie Graham. Since you hardly ever come by the office, you wouldn't know her."

I said flatly, "Edward, I don't like her. Let her go."

"No way!" Edward shot back without even thinking.

Then, realizing what he'd just said, he sighed, sounding helpless. "Honey, you can't just make decisions based on your feelings."

"I've always tried to make you feel secure, that's why I've never had a female secretary all these years. But Jessie is different."

He continued, "She's the sister of the head of the company I'm investing in. Letting his own sister work here shows they're serious about this deal."

"Isn't this the first time you've met Jessie? How come you already don't like her?" Edward just blurted out the question.

"Because she's wearing that white dress," I replied.

"Seriously? Just because of a dress?" Edward stared at me, half laughing, half exasperated, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Edward shook his head, a helpless smile tugging at his lips. "Sweetheart, just because you don't wear dresses anymore doesn't mean you can ban everyone else from wearing them. Come on, be good. Let's go home together in a bit."

After he left, my tears wouldn't stop falling.

Edward wasn't the same anymore.

He knew just how much that whole thing had broken me.