Chapter 1

At our third-anniversary yacht party, my stepsister waved her smartwatch with a sly smile and proposed a game to the crowd.

"If I can blindfold myself and get Julian's heart rate over 130 in three minutes, I win."

"As for the stakes? Let's bet on whether my dear sister Chloe flips out and demands a divorce on the spot."

Everyone thought it was just a joke, including my husband.

Leaning back on the sofa, Julian didn't refuse. Instead, he tossed his matching smartwatch onto the glass table.

"Fine by me. I'll throw in twenty grand that my wife won't make a scene over nothing."

As the crowd cheered and the two of them wrapped into each other's arms, I quietly pulled out my phone and tapped record.

The sea breeze swept across the yacht’s deck, bringing an early autumn chill.

Today was our third wedding anniversary, and also the celebration party for Julian landing a massive contract for his company.

Inside the cabin, the lights were dim, and the scent of champagne hung heavy in the air.

My stepsister, Maya, suddenly stood up, waving the latest smartwatch on her wrist.

"Just drinking is boring. Why don't we play a little heartbeat challenge?"

I looked up at her, my brows furrowing.

"What kind of challenge?"

Maya didn’t look at me. Her gaze drifted straight to Julian, who was sitting right beside me.

Her eyes flickered with clear flirtation.

"I blindfold myself and touch Julian."

"If I can get his heart rate past 130 within three minutes, I win."

"The bet is whether my dear sister Chloe loses her mind and demands a divorce right here, right now."

"If she stays calm, I'll pay you guys twenty thousand dollars."

The friends around us paused for a second before hooting and cheering.

I found it absurd and turned to Julian.

"Maya's drunk. Ignore her."

Julian let out a soft chuckle and set down his glass.

He unclasped his smartwatch—the couple’s watch that matched mine—and casually tossed it onto the glass coffee table.

"It's just a game to hype up the party. What's there to be afraid of?"

With that, he pulled an unlimited black card from his jacket and placed it on top of the watch.

"I'll match twenty grand. If Chloe doesn't ask for a divorce, the money is yours."

Maya broke into a giggle, instantly untying the silk scarf around her neck and tying it over her eyes.

"You said it, Julian. No backing out."

Sitting beside him, my hands and feet turned ice-cold.

"Julian, today is our anniversary," I reminded him in a low voice.

He took my hand, his thumb lightly brushing the back of my fingers.

"Babe, Maya’s just young and having fun. Everyone's having a good time. You're not going to be a buzzkill over a harmless game, are you?"

His palm was warm, but my heart sank straight into an abyss.

In the past, whenever I frowned, he would coax me with that exact gentle tone.

I stared into his eyes for a few seconds, then slowly pulled my hand away.

"Fine. Go ahead."

Hearing that, Maya fumbled her way toward Julian.

She didn’t take the empty seat next to him.

Instead, she straddled Julian’s lap.

"Timer starts now," Maya purred.

Julian stiffened slightly and instinctively glanced at me.

"Babe, don't regret this later."

I stared back, my face completely expressionless.

Maya’s fingers slid down Julian’s shirt buttons, trailing up to his Adam’s apple.

Her nails gently scraped the sensitive skin.

Julian didn’t push her away. Instead, he leaned back, his throat bobbing visibly.

Maya lowered her head, her warm breath fanning against the crook of his neck.

Mellow jazz drifted through the cabin.

The people around us held their breath, their glances darting between the three of us.

I sat there in silence, as if my soul had been drained away.

Maya’s crimson lips brushed against Julian’s earlobe.

She whispered something too low to hear.

Julian’s hands suddenly clamped around Maya’s slender waist, pulling her flush against his chest.

On the coffee table, the smartwatch screen lit up, the numbers jumping rapidly.

105… 118… 126… 132.

It broke 130.

The number burned my eyes.

Julian’s hands remained firmly gripped on Maya’s waist—the exact spot he used to caress whenever he held me.

I didn't even know when he had started rejecting my touch.

When I wanted a hug, he would say old married couples didn't need that nonsense.

When I leaned in for a kiss, he said he was too exhausted from work to get in the mood.

It turned out he wasn't tired, nor did he dislike affection.

He was just tired of me.

Yet right in front of everyone, with my stepsister on his lap, his heart rate easily skyrocketed past 130.

"Three minutes are up!" someone yelled.

Maya pulled off the scarf, casting a triumphant glance at the watch on the table before turning to me.

"Well, Chloe, my number is in. What’s your answer?"

I looked at Julian.

The dazed, flushed excitement hadn't faded from his eyes, and his hands hadn't even left Maya's hips.

I stood up, smoothing the wrinkles from my dress.

"Julian, I want a divorce."