Chapter 1

Julian and I had been married for seven years. To everyone who knew us, we were the definition of true love.

His devotion to me was legendary in our circle.

Until the woman he kept on the side answered his phone.

Only then did I realize that every single person around me had been keeping me in the dark.

Devastated, I demanded a divorce. Julian only sneered coldly. "In the Vance family, there's no such thing as divorce. Only widowhood."

What he didn’t know was...

I was genuinely running out of time to live.

Walking out of the hospital, the oncologist’s words still echoed in my ears.

"Your cancer has progressed to the terminal stage. Even aggressive hospitalization won't change the outcome much..."

"How much time do I have left?"

"Six months. At best."

The lab reports crumpled in my trembling hand. I pulled out my phone and dialed Julian first.

In our seven years of marriage, his tenderness toward me had been undeniable. He was infamous among our peers as the hopelessly devoted husband.

I was terrified he would fall apart if he heard this news.

Yet right now, like a drowning woman, I just desperately needed to grab the only lifeline I had left.

The line rang for over a dozen seconds. Julian's singing voice drifted through the speaker, faint and distant.

He wasn't the one who picked up.

I held my breath, drowning in silence.

"Who is this?" I asked.

"If you want to know, come to The Abyss, Lounge 403."

A woman's voice.

Then, she hung up.

I looked up at the evening sky. The sunset burned a blinding, blood-red glow, but my body wouldn't stop shaking.

Following her directions, I arrived at the exclusive club.

Lounge 403 had been Julian’s private suite since our college days. He was always the wealthy playboy who practically owned places like this.

The heavy door wasn't fully latched. Peeking through the crack, I saw the man sitting dead center on the velvet couch.

It was Julian.

Curled up in his arms was a young girl, snuggling against his chest like a pampered kitten.

It felt so foreign that the air was sucked straight from my lungs.

With trembling fingers, I sent him a text.

"Where are you, Julian?"

A minute later, his reply popped up.

"Still at the office, babe. I’ll be home soon."

Just then, a burst of drunken laughter erupted from the men inside the room.

"Bro, is your wifey checking your leash again?"

"What do you know?" Julian laughed lazily. "I like letting her keep me on a leash."

"Right on! There's a big difference between letting her manage you and actually being whipped. Julian knows exactly how to keep his home life separate from his fun outside!"

Hearing that, Julian reached down and stroked the girl's silky hair.

Just behind me, a cocktail server approached and pushed the door open.

Someone spotted me first. In a heartbeat, every pair of eyes shifted toward the doorway. The room fell dead silent.

Julian immediately shoved the girl away, rose to his feet, and walked toward me.

I raised my hand and slapped him across the face with everything I had.

A crisp crack echoed. A bright red handprint bloomed on his pale cheek.

"Having fun?" I choked out.

"No, I’m not. Let's go home, babe. I'll make your favorite honey-glazed ribs."

He reached out, grabbing my hand firmly in his grasp.

As he pulled me toward the exit, a drunk guy behind us sneered, "Nora, cut the damn drama! Julian’s rich, gorgeous, and stayed faithful to you for years. You should be counting your blessings!"

Before I could react, Julian spun around, grabbed a champagne bottle from a passing cart, and smashed it over the guy's head. Glass shattered everywhere.

"If I ever hear you disrespect my wife again, you won't walk out of here alive!" he snarled.

Even now, he was still playing the devoted protector.

On the drive home, Julian confessed without hesitation.

Her name was Maya.

He had met her during a business trip. She was working at a dive bar, getting harassed by some local thugs, and he played the hero.

She had been by his side ever since.

I gripped the passenger door handle as bile rose in my throat.

"Did everyone else know about her?"

"..."

"Did they?!"

"Yes," Julian said, his jaw tightening.