Chapter 1

After taking connecting flights through three different countries, I finally landed—only to receive an invitation to my wife's wedding.

The groom wasn't me.

Right outside the airport terminal, I ran into a bunch of my old high school classmates.

"Cole? Wow, haven't seen you in years. Down on your luck, aren't you? By the looks of it, you just finished an Uber Eats shift, huh?"

"Tonight is Brandon's engagement party. Perfect timing. Let's take this country bumpkin to see what high society actually looks like!"

It took me a second to remember who Brandon was. Our old class president.

Tonight was his engagement party.

He had invited all our old classmates, including me, but they hadn't been able to reach me.

I never imagined running into them here.

"Sorry. I'm busy. Not coming."

I had no interest in their superficial, pointless networking, so I politely declined.

"Busy doing what? Busting your ass all day for pocket change? Makes sense. Not everyone can make it big like Brandon."

"Brandon's fiancée is the CEO of Apex Global, you know! She's worth billions! Tonight is probably the only chance in your pathetic life to see someone at that level!"

"All that studying back then, and what did it get you? You're still nothing compared to Brandon!"

Basking in the crowd's praise, Brandon spoke up, acting magnanimous.

"Cole, everyone used to say you had a bright future. Doesn't look like it panned out. But hey, we're old classmates. I don't hold grudges."

"Make sure you come to my engagement party tonight!"

Without giving me a choice, he shoved an invitation into my hand.

When my eyes landed on the address, I froze.

Twelve Clearwater Bay?

Isn't that the luxury villa I bought on a whim just to relax?

Then Brandon pulled out his phone and flashed a photo in front of my face.

In the picture, a couple leaned intimately against each other. The woman was wearing an exquisite gown, smiling radiantly. Her silhouette matched the lock screen on my phone down to the finest detail.

My heart lurched.

"Serena?"

Brandon seemed surprised by my reaction. He stared at me for a second, then smirked with condescending pity.

"Well, she's the CEO of Apex Global. Guess it's normal for a nobody like you to know her name."

Except Serena was already married to me!

Look at her go. Holding a marriage certificate with me in one hand, while turning around to be someone else's fiancée with the other.

"Too bad for you. Serena is crazy in love with me," Brandon scoffed.

Right in front of everyone, he tapped open two voice memos Serena had sent him.

That sweet, breathy voice echoed among the group.

"Babe, work is so crazy today. Take care of yourself, okay? If you get sick, I'll be worried sick."

"I made some warm soup for you. Don't forget to drink it. Love you tons, sending you big kisses!"

No matter how much I wanted to lie to myself, I couldn't deny it.

That was my wife's voice. And right now, she was whispering sweet nothings to another man.

She was even about to throw an engagement party with him.

How the hell was I supposed to swallow this? Wear a bright green cuckold hat and smile like nothing was wrong?

Seeing me stand there in stunned silence, the others piped up again.

"What's the matter? Did you realize our class president's fiancée is your dream girl and get completely shattered? A toad dreaming of swan meat."

"Go look in a mirror. A broke loser like you? A woman like that wouldn't look at you twice!"

Brandon waved his hands, suddenly putting on the act of a benevolent leader.

He cleared his throat and patted my shoulder patronizingly.

"Cole, we go way back. I know times are tough for you."

"I really want everyone to witness my happiest moment. Tell you what—come bus tables and serve food for us tonight. I'll pay you a thousand bucks."

"That's gotta be worth several days of grinding for you, right?"

"Damn, Brandon is so generous! Hurry up and thank him, Cole! A grand for one night? You couldn't make that much on the streets. Only Brandon would be this charitable..."

"Honestly, two or three hundred would've been more than enough. If he weren't an old classmate, you wouldn't even get that..."

The hangers-on chimed in, grabbing my arm to shove me forward.

I almost thought they were going to force me to kneel and bow to him.

Brandon yawned, saying he needed to get ready for tonight's party and didn't have time to waste on me. He turned and walked away.

Right after, my phone buzzed wildly in my pocket. Serena had sent a barrage of messages.

"Hubby, I'm going on a trip with my bestie for a little while. Take care of yourself on your business trip abroad!"

"If you get sick, I'll worry myself to death."

"I told our housekeeper to make you some nutritious soup when you get back. I already left your favorite tea blends in the usual spot."

"Don't miss me too much, hubby. Mwah!"

She thought I was still abroad on business. She had no idea I had already flown back and taken a day off to surprise her.

Serena's voice sounded the same as always.

Playful, sweet, and clingy, with that subtle charm that made it impossible to stay mad at her.

If I hadn't just heard Brandon bragging with her identical voice notes, I would have sworn she loved me with all her heart.

The wording was almost identical.

The tone was the exact same.

Serena, did you ever actually love me?

We met five years ago. Dated for three.

We only got married recently.

Whenever I was exhausted from work, she would quietly bring me a cup of warm tea and gently massage my temples.

When my chronic gastritis flared up and put me in the hospital, she would spend hours meticulously brewing light, soothing soups to nurse my stomach back to health.

She talked with me whenever I was down.

She remembered every single one of my picky little habits.

Serena kept my personal life running smoothly and effortlessly.

I used to believe that real love hid in those casual, everyday moments. Deep in the tiny details, felt with the heart.

Until today. Everything that just happened ripped the veil right off.

Serena, I want to hear the truth straight from your mouth.

I looked into the distance. Brandon was strutting away, surrounded by his sycophants like a peacock spreading its feathers.

"Serena... CEO of Apex Global?"

"How come I never heard about that?"