Chapter 1
Emily’s POV
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I was packing my husband’s suitcase and found
a box of used condoms in the pocket.
I open the box and find only four condoms even
though the box says it’s a pack of six. A wave of
nausea washes over me as I sink onto the floor in
–
disbelief I’m afraid of what this means.
Ten years of good, solid marriage. We’d gotten
comfortable, perhaps too comfortable, but still, I
thought we had true love. Louis wouldn’t throw it all
away on some random business trip, right?
“Babe? I’m home!” Louis‘ voice rang through the
house, smooth and confident, like it always did. I
shoved the box back into the suitcase pocket with
shaking hands, snapped the zipper shut, and forced
myself to stand.
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I met him in the foyer, where he dropped his
briefcase and smiled, that wide, boyish grin that
once made me weak in the knees. “Hey, there’s my
girl.” He pulled me into his arms, and I stiffened
before I could stop myself. His cologne, the one I’d
picked for him years ago, smelled cloying now-
familiar, but wrong somehow.
“Hey, I love you,” he murmured, pressing his lips
to mine. It was slow. Gentle. Perfect.
Perfect. The word made me want to scream.
When he pulled back, I managed a whispered, “I
love you, too.” It wasn’t a lie. God help me, I still loved
him. Maybe that’s what made this sting so much.
Louis flashed another grin. “Dinner’s on me
tonight. Special occasion and all.”
Right. Our tenth anniversary. A day we were
supposed to celebrate, but now I felt like a ghost in
my own home.
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He turned toward the kitchen, loosening his tie.
“Oh, check my suit jacket pocket,” he called over his
shoulder. “There’s something in there for you.”
A gift.
My stomach twisted as I walked to the couch
where his jacket was draped. My hand hesitated
before slipping into the pocket, half–expecting to
find something I couldn’t handle. Instead, I pulled
out a small velvet box–neat, pristine, tied with a
golden ribbon.
But as I held it, something else clung to my
fingers–soft, delicate. I brought it closer and saw it
for what it was.
A strand of blonde hair.
I don’t have blonde hair.
My throat closed. The perfume hit me next–a faint floral scent, lingering on the fabric. I inhaled
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faint floral scent, lingering on the fabric. I inhaled
sharply, almost gagging. It wasn’t mine. It didn’t
belong here.
I untied the ribbon, hands trembling, and lifted the lid. Inside was a diamond necklace, small and dazzling. If I’d opened it yesterday, I would’ve cried from joy. Today it felt like a bribe.
“You like it?” Louis called, his voice light and warm. “Hope it’s the right style.”
I couldn’t speak. The walls felt too close. My chest tightened. “I… I’ll be right back, I forgot I was supposed to drop something off at Mrs. Smith’s,” I mumbled, barely hearing myself. Mrs. Smith was a kind woman who lived just up the street that I would often chat with on my walks. A perfect excuse to get out of there.
“What?” Louis appeared in the doorway,
frowning slightly. “Now? I thought we’d order in, celebrate properly-”
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“I’ll be right back,” I cut him off, avoiding his
eyes. I grabbed my bag and opened the door,
needing to escape before my legs gave out.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Maya.
“Emily?” Her voice was bright, almost too
cheerful.
“Hey, Maya,” I said quietly, my voice raw. “I… I
think something’s going on with Louis.”
There was a pause. “What do you mean?” she
asked, tone sharp now.
“I found a box of condoms in his suitcase,” I
admitted, feeling shame heat my cheeks even
though she couldn’t see me. “And perfume on his
suit jacket. There’s… there’s blonde hair on it, Maya.
I don’t know what to think.”
“Perfume? Hair?” Maya laughed, though there
was no humor in it. “Emily, come on. You’re
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overthinking. Louis has been working himself to the
bone lately. Do you really think he has the energy for
an affair? It’s probably nothing.”
“But-”
“Stop,” she snapped. “Don’t ruin your
anniversary with… whatever this is. He loves you.
Isn’t that enough?”
“It doesn’t feel like enough,” I whispered, a fist
forming in my pocket.
“Well, it should be,” Maya replied curtly. Then
the line went dead.
I stared at my phone, disbelief knotting in my
stomach. Maya had never spoken to me like that
before. But something in her voice… it didn’t sit
right. Like she was trying too hard.
A passing car pulled me from my thoughts.
Louis was undoubtedly suspicious. I turned back
toward home hut dread nonlod in my out Thad no
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front door, the house felt quieter than before. Louis
was upstairs, his footsteps moving lightly across our
bedroom floor.
By the time I joined him in bed later that night, I
was too exhausted to confront him. I slid beneath
the covers in silence. Louis shifted, turning to me,
his arm pulling me close.
“Good night, love,” he murmured sleepily.
I stared at the ceiling, the image of that box
burned into my mind. Two missing. Two.
Louis’s arm was warm around me, comforting
in its familiarity. I let him hold me, even as every
instinct told me to run.
At least for tonight, I stayed.
At least for tonight, I let myself pretend we were
still perfect.
