Chapter 1

Layla Scott's POV:

Today was my third wedding anniversary with William Brown.

I left work early on purpose and prepared a candlelit dinner. His favorite white roses sat in the center of the table, and his treasured wine was chilling in the ice bucket.

Seven o'clock, eight o'clock, nine o'clock...

The candles on the table burned out and were replaced, but he still hadn't shown up.

Close to eleven, I finally heard keys turning in the lock. William walked in reeking of alcohol.

Seeing the table full of carefully prepared dishes, he paused for a moment, then showed an apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry, Layla. I forgot today was..." His eyes were full of regret. "An important client showed up right before closing time. I had to entertain them until now."

I stood up to take his suit jacket, and a faint scent of gardenia drifted to my nose.

My fingers froze. This wasn't a perfume I would wear.

"It's okay, work comes first," I said softly, pretending I hadn't noticed anything.

He pulled me into his arms, resting his chin on top of my head. "You're such a good wife, always so understanding. Once this project is done, I'll make it up to you properly."

His gentle embrace and sincere tone made most of that strange feeling in my heart fade away.

I gently patted his back, my voice tender. "Go take a shower. I'll take care of your clothes."

He kissed my forehead and headed to the bathroom.

Standing by the laundry basket, I noticed his phone was still in his suit pocket. The screen lit up, and a messenger notification caught my eye.

Olivia: [Mr. Brown, I've hand-washed the shirt you left at my place last time. Do you need me to bring it to the office tomorrow?]

My heart sank.

I knew her. Olivia Smith was a well-known interior designer who had just returned from abroad. She'd recently finished designing William's new office.

I scrolled up. Their previous chat history was completely blank—clearly deliberately deleted. Only this one message remained, like accidentally dropped evidence, sitting there quietly.

Just as I was staring at the phone, a pair of arms wrapped around my waist from behind.

William's fresh scent after showering surrounded me, familiar and warm.

"Honey," he kissed my earlobe softly, his voice low and gentle, "I'm sorry about today. Let me make it up to you in a bit..."

His breath swept across my neck, carrying obvious desire.

Normally, I would have melted in his embrace, but right now that text message was like a thorn stuck in my heart, aching dully.

I turned around and held the phone up to his face.

"A text from Olivia," I tried to keep my voice steady. "How did your shirt end up at her place?"

William's expression froze for a moment, then he showed a helpless smile. "Last week, when I went to check on the renovation progress, I spilled coffee on myself. Olivia helped me deal with it. She probably just took it home to wash it."

He reached for the phone, but I instinctively pulled my hand back. "Why would she take it home to wash? Aren't there dry cleaners near the office?"

William's eyes flickered slightly, then he cupped my face, pressing his forehead against mine. "Honey, are you jealous?"

His voice carried a hint of amusement. "The schedule was really tight that day. I told her to just send it to the dry cleaners, but maybe she misunderstood. If it bothers you, I'll call her right now and have her explain to you."

He was already dialing the number on his phone, his eyes full of honest sincerity.

His explanation made sense, but was that really all it was?

I looked into his deep eyes, which reflected only my image.

In the end, before the call connected, I hung up his phone myself and chose to believe him.

After three years of marriage, he'd been a nearly perfect husband. Maybe I shouldn't doubt him over just one text message.

William set the phone aside and kissed my cheek again. "Layla, you're the only one in my heart. Don't you know that?"

He leaned down to kiss my lips, but I instinctively turned my head away.

Somehow, my mind was in chaos, and I had no interest at all. "I'm a bit tired. I want to rest early."

William fell silent for a moment, then finally let me go, an emotion I couldn't read flashing through his eyes.

"Okay, get some rest then." He was as thoughtful and considerate as always. "I'll go to the study to handle some work. I'll come back after you're asleep."

At two in the morning, I lay in bed pretending to sleep when the bedroom door was gently pushed open. Familiar footsteps approached from far to near.

I could feel William's familiar gaze fall on me, as if trying to determine whether I was really asleep.

After a few minutes, his footsteps gradually moved away, and the door was gently closed.

I followed him barefoot, being very careful, and heard him speaking in a low voice on the balcony.

"Didn't I tell you not to contact me tonight? I know you need someone with you right now, but today is my wedding anniversary..."

My hands and feet froze instantly, my heart seeming to plunge into an icy abyss, bone-chillingly cold.

"Alright, I'll come see you tomorrow. What gift do you want? I love you too..."

I couldn't listen anymore. Every word he said was like a sharp knife carving into bone, cutting my heart to bloody shreds.

I stumbled back to bed and pretended to be asleep when he returned.

He lay down beside me, naturally wrapping his arm around my waist as usual. This position that once made me feel secure now made my stomach turn.

The next day, I hired a private investigator and found out where Olivia lived.

The GPS led me to a high-end residential area in the western part of the city.

Standing in front of that three-story villa, I hesitated.

Once I knocked on this door, the marriage I'd carefully built over three years would come crashing down.

But in the end, I still reached out to push the door—and was shocked to find it unlocked, as if the villa's owner was silently inviting me in.

In the entryway, I immediately recognized William's shoes, next to a pair of delicate red high heels.

I walked further in. A woman's blazer was casually tossed on the living room sofa, and several used condoms were scattered on the floor.

The bedroom door was ajar, and muffled moans and a familiar deep voice came from inside.

Through the crack in the door, I saw two naked bodies entwined together under the dim yellow light.

William had his back to me, but I could clearly see the firm, raised muscles of his back.

Beneath him was an alluring woman I'd only seen in photos, her face flushed as she moved in sync with him.

"William... be gentle, think of the baby..." she moaned his name, her voice full of passion.

Baby?

Those words hit me like a sledgehammer, shattering my last shred of hope.

I staggered backward and accidentally knocked into a decoration in the hallway. The noise startled the people inside.

"Who's there?" William's cold voice called out.

I didn't look back. I ran out of that villa like a madwoman and drove into the vast night.

Tears scattered in the rushing wind. I stared blankly at the ring on my hand, remembering the vow he made when he put this ring on my finger at our wedding.

"In this life, my heart will only beat for you. I'll only be your support."

Now, looking back, how ironic.

My phone suddenly started vibrating nonstop, William's name flashing repeatedly on the screen.

I turned off the phone directly, then threw it out the car window.