Chapter 1

I walked through the front door after finishing an exhausting night shift at the hospital.

My husband was in the kitchen, cooking pasta.

He worked as a software engineer at a tech firm, usually pulling crazier hours than I did. Yet today, of all days, he had actually taken time off.

"Rough shift, honey. Sit down, have some pasta, and get some rest," he said, turning around with a gentle smile.

I took the bowl, but as his arm brushed past, a scent caught my nose.

It wasn't mine.

It was a sickly sweet, flirtatious designer perfume.

I looked down, twirling a fork in the pasta. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the trash can. Inside lay a crumpled, damp wad of tissues.

Right next to it was a half-smoked slim cigarette, marked with an eye-searing smudge of bright red lipstick.

So, this pasta wasn't made to welcome me home. It was cooked to replenish his energy after a workout, wasn't it?

Without batting an eye, I praised him for being so thoughtful, then slipped into the home office.

I pulled up the admin log for our smart speaker to check today’s audio recordings.

At 3:00 PM, a breathy, cooing woman's voice echoed through the playback: *"Babe, the view from this floor-to-ceiling window is incredible. Want to try it right here?"*

What followed was the rustle of clothes, followed by ragged, frantic moans.

My face remained completely blank. I downloaded the audio file and shot a text to my best friend, who happened to be a brilliant cybersecurity expert:

[Run a background check on a woman for me. Her voice sounds familiar.]

[Since she loves screaming so much, I’m going to make her famous across the entire industry.]

My best friend replied within seconds: [Consider it done, girl. I don't care who she is—I'll drag that little homewrecker into the light!]

Logan walked into the home office carrying a plate of freshly sliced fruit.

He set it down beside my laptop and rested a hand casually on my shoulder.

"Still working on your research paper, babe? Go to sleep early."

I turned my chair around. My gaze dropped to his open collar.

There was a patch of skin caked in a thick layer of concealer.

It was blindingly obvious someone had sucked a vicious hickey right onto his neck.

I pointed directly at the spot. "What happened to your neck?"

Logan’s hand flew to his throat on instinct, his eyes darting away nervously.

"Oh, uh... team-building run in the park yesterday. Got bit by a huge mosquito. Thought it looked gross, so I covered it up so you wouldn't have to look at it."

It was November.

What kind of mutant mosquito bites in freezing weather and leaves a mark like that?

I didn't call him out. I just kept my voice cool and flat. "Must've been a toxic bug. Be careful it doesn't get infected."

"Yeah... haha, totally," he stammered, letting out a dry chuckle.

"I need to sort through some clinical charts tonight, and I'm exhausted. I'll sleep in the guest room."

Logan visibly exhaled in relief, immediately putting on a doting, considerate act.

"Sure, get some proper rest then. I won't disturb you."

Watching his light, carefree steps as he walked away, the last shred of warmth in my eyes froze over.

The next morning during the departmental briefing, the head of nursing led a group of new clinical interns into the conference room.

"Everyone, let's welcome our new additions."

A young woman in scrubs stood up.

She looked pure and innocent, with wide, watery, doe-like eyes.

"Hello, doctors and mentors. My name is Piper White. Please take good care of me."

Her voice was sugary sweet, ending on a coy, flirtatious lilt.

The pen in my hand froze.

That voice—it was the exact same voice from my smart speaker asking to "try it" against my floor-to-ceiling window yesterday.

Piper seemed to notice my stare and deliberately walked right up to me.

"Hello, Dr. Lin. I've heard so much about you. I look forward to learning a lot from you."

She bowed slightly, her top dipping low.

As she moved, her wrist caught the light.

She was wearing a diamond-studded four-leaf clover bracelet.

It was my limited-edition piece that had mysteriously "gone missing" from my house last week—one of only ten made in the world.

I stared at the bracelet, then dragged my gaze up to her collarbone.

There was a blotch of the exact same shade of concealer plastered over her skin.

Its placement matched the mark on Logan's neck perfectly.

Noticing my eyes on her, Piper didn't flinch or cover up. Instead, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and shot me a sweet, innocent smile.

Her eyes, however, dripped with venomous provocation.

Right then, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

My best friend had sent over a dossier: [Found her. Piper White, new nurse at your hospital.]

[And get this: she’s also the 'liaison consultant' for the medical supply contract with Logan's tech firm.]

[Under the guise of 'work collaboration,' those two must have been screwing all over the place.]

I slid my phone back into my pocket, staring at her harmless little face.

So, they took their business right into my bed.

At the end of the shift, Logan texted me: [Babe, slammed with overtime tonight, won't be able to pick you up.]

I replied with a simple: [Okay.]

Leaving the hospital entrance, I bypassed the employee parking lot and stepped into the shadows by the curb.

A familiar black sedan was parked along the street.

Logan’s car.

Piper, now dressed in a skimpy, pure-yet-sexy white sundress, practically skipped over, popped the passenger door open, and slipped inside.

The car didn't pull away onto the main road. Instead, it turned into a dark, secluded alley.

I followed on foot.

Soon enough, the car began rocking in a rhythmic, violent bounce.

I pulled out my phone, dialed in the camera, and recorded crisp, clear footage of the license plate and the violently shaking vehicle.

Watching that car rock in the dead of night, the very last trace of affection I had ever held for that man vanished completely.

Since you two love cheap thrills so much, I'll make sure your next thrill ruins you forever.