Chapter 1

After my third late-term miscarriage, the surgeons had to perform a total hysterectomy.

Carter turned gray overnight from grief. He took my hand and promised we would live a child-free life.

"Don't be afraid, Nora. From now on, I'll love and spoil you like my own child."

I nodded through tears, believing I was married to the most devoted man alive.

It wasn't until seven years into our child-free marriage that I stumbled upon the truth.

Every single year, during that month-long "business trip," Carter was playing house with another woman and their child.

When he saw me, there was no panic in his eyes. Not an ounce of guilt.

He just pulled the woman and the boy behind him, shielding them with quiet defensiveness.

"Don't take it out on them, Nora. It's all my fault. I'll take the blame."

It turned out that our beautiful, happy family was nothing more than my own delusional fantasy.

The marriage I had been so proud of was nothing but a freezing, hollow hell.

Fine. If that was the case, I was out.

Today was our tenth wedding anniversary. To surprise him,

I took an earlier flight and waited for him at the airport.

As his flight landed, the arrival terminal grew increasingly crowded.

Carter was tall, and I spotted him in the crowd instantly.

Just as I was about to wave, a mother and son sitting beside me bolted up ahead of me.

"Daddy!"

The little boy shot forward like an arrow, throwing himself straight into Carter's arms.

With a warm smile on his lips, Carter caught the boy and swung him high into the air.

With his free hand, he naturally wrapped the woman into his embrace.

My heart felt as if it had been seized by an iron fist. A suffocating pain tore through my entire body.

Wrapping his tiny arms around Carter's neck, the boy chirped innocently, "Daddy, you haven't kissed Mommy yet."

Carter tilted his head down to lean in, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw me.

He froze for a fraction of a second, but the woman had already reached up, pressing her lips softly against his.

I stood there frozen, a deafening voice screaming inside my head.

What a picture-perfect family of three.

A few minutes later, the four of us stood staring at one another in silence.

"What are you doing here?"

"You didn't even give me a heads-up."

Carter's voice was hoarse. He gently set the child down on the floor before his calm eyes finally met mine.

There was zero emotion in his gaze.

No panic, no remorse—just flat, cold indifference, like a stagnant pool of dead water.

Even though I had braced myself, hearing his flat tone still made me stagger back a step.

So, meeting my own husband now required an appointment in advance.

My hands trembled as I hid the anniversary gift behind my back.

Looking straight into Carter's eyes, I forced words out of my constricted throat,

"You know exactly what you're doing, don't you?"

When Carter stayed silent, I shifted my gaze toward the woman.

Unlike Carter's composed detachment, her eyes were filled with blatant defiance and curiosity.

In that single glance, I understood everything.

"Who are you?" I asked her.

The moment the words left my lips, Carter instinctively moved, stepping in front to shield the pair behind him.

His expression finally shifted—hardening with guarded suspicion.

"Nora, leave them out of this."

"It's on me. I'll take full responsibility."