Chapter 1

On the day of my ectopic pregnancy surgery, my husband told me to relax. He promised he’d be waiting right outside the operating room.

But when I woke up in the recovery ward, he was nowhere to be found.

Then, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Ethan:

*Chloe has a fever. I’m at her place taking care of her. I’ll come to the hospital later.*

I dialed his number immediately. But the moment the call connected, a girl’s voice drifted through the receiver.

"Babe, can you hand me my underwear from the couch?"

I froze.

Every single time I needed my husband, his childhood bestie would find some ridiculous excuse to drag him away.

Sometimes it was a stomach ache. Sometimes it was a sprained ankle.

Between her and me, she was always Ethan's first choice.

I hung up and called my lawyer.

Five years of marriage. It was time to end this.

Right after I finished discussing the divorce details with my lawyer, Ethan’s FaceTime call came through.

The background looked like a hotel room. He was wearing a loose bathrobe, showing off his toned chest, with a faint look of worry on his face.

It was as if he wasn't the same man who was playing house with another woman just minutes ago.

"How are you feeling?" his voice was cold, lacking any real warmth.

"I’m fine. Just minor surgery," I replied, my heart freezing as I watched his tense expression instantly relax.

"Chloe had a terrible fever. She’s all alone and has no one to look after her, so I was worried..."

"So you worry about her, but you don’t care whether I live or die on the operating table? Ethan, who is actually your wife?"

I cut him off, my voice sharp with anger.

Ethan startled. On the screen, Chloe appeared. She looked pale—probably wearing tons of white powder—and weakly tugged at his sleeve.

"Nora, please don't get mad. Ethan and I are just friends. He only has eyes for you."

I stared at her pathetic act and sneered, "Chloe, do you even believe your own lies?"

The anesthesia was wearing off, and a sharp pain flared in my lower abdomen. But it was nothing compared to the agony in my heart.

I took a deep breath. "Do 'just friends' ask each other to hand them their underwear? Chloe, do you think I'm stupid?"

"Nora, Ethan was the only one here! Who else was I supposed to ask? We are really just friends. Isn't it normal for friends to help each other out?"

"Nora, that's enough!" Ethan snapped, his patience exhausted. "Can you stop being so paranoid all the time?"

"Paranoia?"

I looked at the disgust in his eyes and let out a bitter laugh. "Every single thing you’ve done justifies my doubt."

"I was in surgery, and you were with another woman. It’s not just once or twice. Every single time I need you, you are by Chloe's side!"

Chloe’s eyes instantly welled with tears. She looked incredibly wronged.

"Nora, I know you blame me. But I don't have any family left in this world. I only have Ethan. Please don't be mad. If you need him, I'll tell him to go back right now."

As she spoke, she made a show of pushing Ethan away. "Go check on Nora. I can take care of myself."

I saw right through her cheap acting. Yet, Ethan looked at her with pure heartbreak and turned his anger back on me.

"Forget it, I don't need him," I scoffed. "A trashy man and a fake bitch—you two are literally made for each other. Why would I want a hollow shell to come visit me anyway?"

Ethan’s face turned red with fury.

"Nora! Stop throwing these childish tantrums! Chloe is actually sick. Can't you be a little more understanding? Besides, it’s just a minor ectopic pregnancy surgery. You didn't die. Why are you being so dramatic?"

With that, he turned his head to comfort Chloe, telling her not to take my words to heart.

That was when I noticed they were wearing matching couple’s pajamas.

Chloe shot a triumphant smirk at the camera while wrapping her arms around Ethan’s waist, sobbing softly. The sight of them made me physically sick.

I clenched my fists, digging my nails into the hospital sheets. My heart felt like it had stopped beating.

We had known each other for eight years. We dated for three and had been married for five.

From our innocent college days to the altar, and now to this betrayal. I had given everything for Ethan, only to receive his utter disgust in return.

I never thought we would end up like this.

"Ethan, do you even remember eight years ago?"

Ethan looked down, refusing to meet my eyes on the screen. He kept quiet.

So, he did have a conscience to feel guilty.

Eight years ago, the Hayes family went completely bankrupt. His parents couldn’t handle the blow and jumped from the rooftop of their company building.

And Chloe, who had always claimed Ethan was her only family, vanished overnight without a trace.

Back then, I was the only one who stood by him. I helped him finish his degree and used all my savings to support his startup.

I helped him rise from the ashes.

Later, as Ethan's company grew and he became a successful CEO, Chloe suddenly returned.

At first, Ethan ignored her.

Until she produced a medical report from abroad, claiming she had left because she was terminally ill. She said she didn't want to drag him down and wanted to spare him the pain of watching her die.

What a ridiculous excuse. Yet, Ethan believed every word.