I stared at the reflection in the bathroom mirror, my eyes red and swollen from crying. Memories of the past seven years with Chandler flashed through my mind.

When we first got together, he used to wait half an hour in the freezing winter nights just to drive me home from work, often surprising me with macarons I'd once casually mentioned liking.

We started our business from scratch. When funds were tight, he turned our tiny rented apartment into an office. For six months after that, he slept curled up on the couch while insisting I take the only single bed.

After the company went public, life finally got easier. The day he proposed, he rented out an entire theater and prepared a surprise I'd remember for the rest of my life.

When I was pregnant, he never let me lift a finger. All day, he cared for every detail of my life with a private doctor and nutritionist arranged just for me.

I'd never doubted his love or wondered if it was all an act. Now, I understood that his love was genuine, but it was split in two.

The thought of him holding Heather's hand, kissing her, even sharing her bed somewhere out of my sight, filled me with utter disgust. No matter what, I had to leave.

That was when I thought of our son, Alfie. I wasn't sure how I should explain this to him. He'd just started elementary school and was far too young to bear the pain of his parents' divorce because of adult mistakes.

As I turned to leave the bathroom, my foot slipped, and I stumbled backward. The fall I'd braced for never came. Instead, a pair of strong hands caught me around the waist and pulled me firmly against his chest.

It was Chandler. Without a word, he scooped me up, carried me into the bedroom, and gently laid me on the bed.

Noticing my red, puffy eyes, he frowned. "What happened, my love? Why have you been crying?"

I looked away and scrambled for an excuse. "I saw a story on the news about stray cats. It's just so sad that all those animals have no home."

He chuckled dotingly and ruffled my hair. "You're always so kind-hearted, my love."

I pressed my lips together, then tugged gently on his sleeve. "Honey, our marriage certificate got soaked and ruined. Should we get a new one?"

His smile stiffened almost instantly. "I've been really busy lately. I'll have the lawyer handle it."

"But—" I started, only to be cut off by the abrupt ringing of his phone. He quickly answered it, and I noticed a strange flicker in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, my love. There's an emergency at the office, and I have to go. Don't wait up for me tonight." With that, he grabbed his coat and rushed out.

My instincts told me he was lying. I checked my phone, and sure enough, a new post appeared on Instagram. Heather had just announced her return to Osnea, and she'd be landing tonight.

The caption read, "I wonder if anyone would be kind enough to pick me up…"

So that was why Chandler had left in such a rush.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. By all rights, I should have stepped aside the moment I found out that they were the true married couple. Yet I never saw this coming—I'd never expected Chandler to bring Heather home.

"Heather just got back and has nowhere to stay. Since we have spare rooms, I thought she could stay here for a couple of days."

Behind Chandler, Heather stepped inside with her suitcase, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. When she saw me, she immediately put on a sweet, apologetic smile.

"I'm so sorry, Danielle. It's peak tourist season, and every hotel nearby is fully booked, so I had no choice but to ask Chandler for help. You don't mind, do you?"

My hand tightened around the stair railing as I forced out the words. "Do whatever you want. Just don't touch anything."

Heather beamed and eagerly pulled her suitcase further inside. From the moment she entered, Chandler never left her side, his eyes following her every move.

An uncomfortable knot tightened in my chest. I was about to retreat to my room when I heard a voice down the hallway. "I want this room, Chandler! I love it!"

Panic surged in my chest as I ran over and shouted to stop them, "No!"

Startled, they both turned to look at me. My eyes were red-rimmed as I blurted out, "This was my grandma's room before she passed. There are plenty of other empty rooms; just pick any of them but this one."

Heather's eyes glinted with mischief at that. She clung to Chandler's arm and whined playfully. "I really want this room, Chandler. I love the decor; you can see the garden from the window!"

Chandler looked at her with clear affection before turning to me with a helpless sigh. "Your grandma's been dead for years, and the room's been empty ever since. No harm done if Heather uses it for a few days."

I was nearly begging as I cried out, "Please, Chandler. We promised we'd always keep this room exactly as it was."

He hesitated because he'd indeed promised me that at Grandma's funeral.

Sensing his reluctance, Heather suddenly released his arm and put on a pitiful act. "I know what, I never should have come here. If Danielle won't even let me stay in a spare room, I should just leave."

She turned to wheel her suitcase out, so Chandler immediately panicked and yanked her back. "Don't be ridiculous. It's late, and I won't let you stay outside alone.

"Danielle, let Heather have this room."

His tone was firm and cold. In all seven years of marriage, he'd never spoken to me in such a sharp, commanding tone, but I stood my ground.

To my surprise, he shoved me aside and led Heather into the room.

I stumbled back and collapsed to the floor in a daze. In the room, Heather twirled around happily before flopping onto the large, soft bed. "Thank you for being so understanding, Danielle. I promise I won't touch anything—Oh!"

Before she could even finish, her arm swung out and "accidentally" knocked over a vase on the bedside table. It was my late grandma's favorite porcelain vase, now shattered into pieces on the floor.

I couldn't take it anymore and stormed forward to shove her hard.

"I'm so sorry, Danielle. It was an accident—" Heather began, but before she was done with her apology, a sharp, stinging pain exploded across my cheek.

It was Chandler, who'd just slapped me for the first time in all seven years of our marriage.

For a moment, an eerie silence hung in the air. He stared at his hands, eyes wide in panic.

I recoiled as he reached out to steady me, and his expression quickly darkened. "Are you done causing a scene? It was just a vase, so was it really necessary to push her?

"Heather's staying in this room tonight. You go back to yours and calm down."

With that, he gripped my wrist firmly and pushed me into my room.

As the door slammed shut, I slid helplessly to the floor, my tears finally breaking free.

I started packing.

After seven years with Chandler, nearly everything in the house carried a memory of us together.

I selected essentials for my suitcase and threw everything else away. Pictures of me and Chandler, every gift he'd given me, souvenirs from our travels, matching couple's pajamas and slippers… I figured that once Heather moved in, they wouldn't want to see any of it anyway.

As I was sorting through my belongings, there was a knock at my door. I opened it to find Alfie standing outside.

"The room next to mine is really noisy, Mom. I can't sleep."

If I remembered correctly, the room next to his was Grandma's.

"You can sleep with me tonight, sweetheart," I said. Alfie obediently climbed onto my bed, and I hummed a lullaby until he drifted off.

Once he was asleep, I quietly slipped out of the room and approached Grandma's room. As I drew closer, I could unmistakably hear heavy breathing and muffled sounds from within.

"Not so loud, Chandler… What if someone hears?"

"Don't worry. Alfie sleeps like a rock, and no one will notice. Or perhaps… you like the thrill of it?"

The bed creaked rhythmically before I heard Heather's sweet, intimate voice. "Darling, who's sexier? Me or Danielle?"

Chandler seemed spurred on by her calling him "darling," and his movements grew rougher. "You, of course, my dear wife. She's had a child, so her body isn't the same anymore."

I wanted to burst into the room and demand answers from Chandler.

Did that mean I wasn't the person he fell in love with? Or was it simply that youth, a perfect body, and the newness of it all were more important?

But my hand rested weakly on the doorknob. I couldn't turn it.

I felt like a fool. The forged marriage certificate, his clear favoritism toward Heather, and their entangled bodies right now were the best answers I could ever receive.

After a final, intense moan, the movement in the room stilled. I turned and quickly walked away.

Back in my room, I gently closed the door, only to hear Alfie's voice behind me. "Mom."

I turned to see him standing by the bed, looking up at me with careful eyes. "Did Dad find a new woman? Is he going to leave us?"

My heart ached like it was being squeezed tight. Even at his young age, he could sense that something was wrong, but this wasn't a burden a child should carry.

I stroked his hair and tried to comfort him. "It's okay, sweetheart. Your dad will never abandon you."

"But what about you, Mom? I saw you packing. Are you leaving Dad?"

I hadn't realized he'd noticed, so I had no choice but to nod quietly.

Alfie wrapped his arms tightly around my hand and said, "I'm leaving with you. I don't want that woman to be my mom; I only want you."

For some reason, tears welled up in my eyes once more. "Okay."

Holding Alfie close as though he were my greatest treasure, I finally fell asleep.