Chapter 1

Everyone knew George Stephens was my knight, and I was the Cinderella he'd rescued.

He took in the gloom I carried from my childhood in the orphanage, and healed the wounds left by the bullying I went through as a teenager.

Even after I lost my uterus in an accidental miscarriage, he kissed my forehead and told me it wasn't my fault.

Then, on our third wedding anniversary, I opened George's computer to look for some old photos.

Instead I clicked into a folder called “Grooming Odie.”

【I could easily have saved her parents, but an orphan needs her knight so much more.】

【Paying off those thugs to bully her cost a fortune, but the way she trembled in my arms was beautiful.】

【I don't regret switching her prenatal medication. As long as Odie loves only me, that's enough.】

The last entry was updated yesterday::

【I think I'm sick of being the knight. Saving her used to feel like an accomplishment. Now this wretched state of hers just grates on me.】

So all this time he'd been feeding his knight fantasy on my wounds.

And once the novelty wore off, all I had left was a weakness too heavy to carry me out the door.

I cried until I couldn't stand, but I still stumbled toward the door, dragging my suitcase.

The moment I stepped out, I saw George pinning my best friend against the wall, his voice rough.:

“When am I finally going to be able to tell her we're already together?”

...

The suitcase slammed into the doorframe, and both their heads turned at once.

Miriam Hughes went white in an instant and shoved George away.

George froze for a second, his eyes landing on my thin nightdress.

He took off his coat and draped it over my shoulders, the way he always had.

“You'll catch cold.”

I knocked his hand away, my voice breaking.

“How long have you two been together?”

Miriam's mouth opened, her voice shaking.

“Odie, listen to me……”

George stepped forward and put himself between us, shielding her.

“I'm the one who went after Miri first.”

Miriam peeked out from behind him, her eyes red.

“I haven't said yes to him yet! I told him the two of you had to divorce first before I'd ever be with him!”

George looked at my reddened eyes and let out a sigh.

“Well, since you already know, maybe that's for the best.”

“Keeping it hidden was wearing all three of us out.”

As he spoke, he bent down to fasten the buttons of the coat for me.

The year I was seven, my parents had just died.

I was sent to the orphanage, and on that first winter night, I locked myself in the storage room.

George lay outside that door all night.

Every ten minutes, he knocked three times.

“Odie, just answer me.”

“You don't have to come out. Just let me know you're still there.”

Later I refused to eat for days on end.

He went and found the old workers from my parents' breakfast shop, and learned how to make sweet hot chocolate.

He burned three pots of it, and scalded a big patch of blisters onto his hand.

Back then I thought no one in this world could ever love me more than he did.

Now he bent his head, still patiently fastening my buttons.

For one moment I actually doubted myself, wondering if the things on that computer could have just been some sick joke.

Clinging to that last shred of hope, I looked at Miriam.

“Did the two of you hug?”

Miriam bit her lip and lowered her head.

“Did you kiss?”

Her shoulders began to shake.

“Have you already slept together behind my back, more times than you can count?”

Miriam didn't deny it.

George frowned.

“Enough. Don't humiliate her like this.”

In twenty years, it was the first time he'd ever spoken to me in that tone.

I looked at George.

“Weren't you so afraid of upsetting your sick little patient? Then why go and be with my best friend?”

George turned his face away.

“Odie, I've taken care of you for twenty years.”

“I wanted to try what it feels like not to build my whole life around an invalid.”

The room went quiet for a few seconds.

George realized what he'd just said and immediately tried to move closer to me.

Then Miriam suddenly started to cry.

His step faltered, and on instinct he turned first to steady her.

Watching that, my tears stopped instead.

He pushed my suitcase back into the house.

“I was going to bring up the divorce after we got through this anniversary.”

“Since you've walked in on it now, there's no point pretending anymore.”

“But you're not well. There's no way I'm letting you go out alone tonight.”

I didn't look at Miriam again.

I stared at George and asked the one question I was most afraid to ask.

“Fine, we'll divorce. But before we do, you answer me one thing.”

“The night my parents died, what exactly did you do?”