Chapter 1
Right before I was about to marry Bowen Ralph, his ex, who had vanished abroad eight years prior, returned with a child.
He attended the boy's parent-teacher conference as the father.
When I confronted him, he shot back with barely concealed irritation, "Everyone makes mistakes. Or have you forgotten your own miscarriage?"
My heart ached, but I stayed silent and didn’t make a fuss.
Instead, when I walked away, I left behind two paternity test reports.
One confirmed the relationship between him and the child.
The other revealed the connection between his brother and the child.
After my fifth call to Bowen went unanswered.
Walter Spencer, my secretary, knocked on the door.
"Ms. Shaw, Charles and his team are waiting outside. Should we keep waiting for Mr. Ralph, or should we start without him?" Walter asked.
There was only a month left until my wedding to Bowen.
Today was the day we'd set aside to try on wedding dresses.
Five custom-made gowns, all designed just for me by Charles, the renowned international designer.
Just last night, Bowen had whispered in my ear that he wanted to pick out my wedding dress himself.
But ever since he left this morning, I hadn't been able to get in touch with him.
I turned off my phone and stood up. "Let's just get started."
Each of the five dresses had its own charm, but in the end, it was my best friend, Rachel Pullan, who helped me make the decision.
She said, "If you ever change your mind about marrying Bowen, this dress will help you make a graceful escape."
"Would you come and steal me away at the altar?" I asked.
Rachel shrugged. "Who knows?"
I let out a snort of laughter, and just like that, my mood lightened up a bit.
By the time Bowen got home, it was already eleven at night.
When he saw me sitting on the couch, he frowned.
"Why are you still up so late?" he asked.
"Walter said you didn't go to the office today," I said.
He tugged at his tie.
"A client from Nordland stopped by unexpectedly, so I had to take him out for a few drinks," he explained.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, he smacked his forehead, looking annoyed.
"Sorry, baby. I forgot all about our wedding dress fitting today," he said.
"I tried calling you so many times," I said.
He came over and pulled me into his embrace.
"It's on me, my phone died and I didn't even notice. I'll reschedule with Charles right away," he said.
Seeing how exhausted he looked, I couldn't stay mad at him for long.
Even though I was still annoyed, I said, "No need. Rachel and I already picked one out."
Bowen let out a sigh of relief.
"If Rachel the designer made the choice, then I can rest easy," he said.
He leaned in and pecked me on the lips.
"I didn't get to see you try on the wedding dress, but you did say you bought some new nightwear the other day," he teased.
His gaze grew heated, and he swallowed hard, whispering, "About that, I'd love to see for myself."
My cheeks flushed, and I pushed him away, flustered.
"Go take a shower," I said.
Once the sound of water started in the bathroom, I slipped into the new nightwear I'd bought.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Bowen's phone tossed on the bed. I picked it up, about to plug it in for him.
The lock screen lit up, and I froze when I saw the battery was still more than half full.
Right then, a group notification popped up.
[Hey parents, the group photos from today's meeting are up. Grab yours.]
My finger hovered over the screen for a moment, and before I knew it, I'd tapped in.
The group name was "St. Anne's Elementary, Class 1, Grade 1 Family Group."
I had heard Rachel mention this school before; it was one of the most prestigious in Silverton.
Messages kept popping up in the group, so I tapped through the photos one by one. When I got to the seventh picture, I spotted Bowen.
He was hugging a little boy, with a smile tugging at his lips.
I gave the front desk a call.
"Did a client from Nordland come to see Mr. Ralph today?" I asked.
"Yes, there was one, but Mr. Attlee took care of him. Mr. Ralph just met with the client briefly and then left," the receptionist told me.
Just as I hung up, Bowen walked out of the bathroom.
When he saw me holding his phone, his face changed slightly.
"Did you look at my phone?" he asked.
There was a faint trace of irritation in his eyes, barely there, but I caught it.
"What, can't I?" I replied.
I asked coolly, "Why so tense? Got something you don't want me to find out?"
"No way," he replied.
He let out a dry laugh and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Actually, you just reminded me. I still need to reply to a client," he said.
He reached for his phone, but I pulled it back a little.
I tapped the screen, bringing up that group photo right in front of him.