Chapter 1
We had been married for ten years when Andrew Carter told me he had fallen for a divorced woman.
There was nothing remarkable about her: plain face, average figure, and even three years older than me.
His betrayal confused me.
And his explanation was even more ridiculous.
"She's an amazing cook. Ever since we've been together, my stomach issues haven't flared up.
"I'm tired of playing those pretentious business games. I just want a real home.
"She's no better than you in any way, but she sees me.
"Yvonne, your career always came first, even when I needed you the most.
"Tell me, if you had to choose between your career and me, who would you pick?"
Who would I pick?
I looked at him and suddenly burst out laughing.
That homewrecker's name was Rachel.
She was a bit chubby, with a soft jawline that folded into a double chin whenever she looked down.
Fine crow's feet fanned out from the corners of her eyes.
Rachel's previous marriage ended after years of torment that her ex's gambling problem had caused her.
Now, she lived with her six-year-old son, Sammy, in an apartment my husband rented for her.
That tiny place was nothing special.
And Rachel? Even more so. She was like the goods on the top of the shelf that nobody would take a look at.
If Rachel hadn't deliberately crossed my path that day, I would've never noticed her.
When I hired a PI to investigate Rachel, even he seemed surprised.
"Ms. Martens, aren't you being a bit too suspicious?" he asked.
"Your husband—the CEO of EverSource Corporation—fall for a woman like that? Seriously?"
His reaction made sense.
Compared to me, Rachel had nothing.
She had neither good looks nor an attractive figure.
Neither her education nor her skills were anything to write home about.
Yet there she was, wearing my old dress, carrying my used handbag, and driving my discarded car—intercepted me on my way home from work.
"You're Yvonne Martens, right? We need to talk. This is about your husband—my partner, and the man my son Sammy now calls father, Andrew.
"I've been with Andrew for three years, and he's been wonderful to us.
"Now that Sammy is about to start school, we need legal family status. Maybe you could let us become a real family."
That was all she said; her every word was delivered without shame.
Later, I passed her words along to the investigator.
He frowned slightly, then took the case.
It didn't take a full week before he returned with proof.
The truth of Andrew's affair was no longer hidden.
I got a thick stack of photographs.
What came with them was countless videos.
They all captured Andrew and Rachel's day-to-day life together.
To anyone who didn't know, they just seemed like any ordinary married couple.
Together, they picked Sammy up from school and went shopping at the malls and markets.
Rachel did the laundry, cooked meals, and kept the apartment spotless.
Andrew read picture books with Sammy, his voice warm and patient.
They addressed each other affectionately, and the boy even called Andrew "Daddy."
Such harmony and affection.
This was the very scene Andrew and I had fantasized about when we were madly in love.
But back then, we were dirt poor.
We couldn't even afford a place with a kitchen.
All we had was a cramped basement and a tiny single bed.
One day, I was burning with fever.
Andrew hurriedly found a pack of ice and wrapped it with a towel. He then put it on my forehead before fetching me some medicine.
Soon, I felt much better.
He held me close, whispering reassurances and swearing at the world.
"Once payday comes next month, we'll get ourselves an apartment with a proper kitchen.
"Give me a year, and I'll buy you a car. You'll never have to walk in the rain again.
"Yvonne, trust me. We'll make it through this together."
And of course, I believed him with all my heart.
Back then, Andrew was very poor, but he loved me with everything he got.
He would give me the only piece of ham in his sandwich and run across several blocks to buy me my favorite waffle.
Once, he even sold the precious heirlooms his late mother had left him, just to buy me a proper dress so I could truly shine at the company's annual gala.
I treasured that dress more than anything.
Even after we made it big, I never cared that it went out of style.
But then, one day, the dress just vanished.
I searched high and low for it for ages—even went so far as to file a police report.
Until I saw Rachel in that very dress.
I doubted Andrew even remembered what that dress meant to him when he gifted it to her.
And certainly not to me.