Chapter 1

As I was tucking my daughter into bed, she suddenly asked,

"Mommy, why does Daddy call someone else 'baby'?"

"Didn't he say that only you and I are his babies?"

My hand froze in mid-air as I was pulling up her blanket.

"Sweetheart, when did you hear that?"

"Daddy was on the phone when he picked me up today. I heard him call the person on the other end 'baby'."

She added, "It wasn't Mommy's voice."

My heart sank instantly.

My daughter rolled over and continued,

"And Daddy said he was going to take that lady out tomorrow. But didn't he promise to take me to the theme park?"

I immediately opened my chat history with Liam.

At six o'clock this afternoon, he had sent me a message.

"Something came up at the office. I have to go on an urgent business trip tonight. We'll go to the theme park next weekend."

I called him on FaceTime, but he hung up immediately.

A second later, a text popped up:

"Busy. What's up?"

I took a deep breath.

"Who is she?"

Liam replied almost instantly.

"What are you talking about? Who?"

"Have you been watching those ridiculous relationship advice videos on TikTok again?"

"Don't keep testing me like this. You know how much I love you."

I stared at the words on the screen, my fingers turning icy cold.

He was still playing dumb.

He had said things like this countless times since we started dating.

Every time I doubted him, he would soothe me, saying I was the only one for him in this lifetime—past, present, and future.

He had said it so many times that he probably believed his own lies.

"I see. Get back to work."

I typed those words and tossed the phone onto the bed.

My daughter was already asleep, her tiny face buried in the pillow. Her long, curled eyelashes looked just like her father's.

I tucked her in, turned off the bedside lamp, and quietly stepped out of the room.

Only a single floor lamp was lit in the living room.

I sat on the couch, hugging my knees, as my daughter's words played on a loop in my mind.

I opened Snapchat and scrolled up through my chat history with Liam.

At 6:10 PM today, he sent that message saying he had an unexpected business trip and would take her to the park next week.

The phrasing was exactly the same as always. The tone was identical.

I scrolled back to last month, the month before that—sudden business trips, last-minute overtime, weekend client meetings.

These excuses were everywhere in our chat history.

And I had never once doubted him.

Because I trusted him.

He had fought tooth and nail with his family just to marry me.

After we got married, he didn't want me to stress over work, so he took on all the financial burdens himself.

When I gave birth to our daughter, he stood outside the delivery room for twelve grueling hours.

After she was born, his hands shook as he held her. He swore he would treat both of us like royalty for the rest of his life.

I truly believed he loved me with all his heart.

But in the end, he still cheated.

I didn't sleep at all that night.

The streetlights cast a dim glow through the bedroom curtains. I lay on my side, staring at the silhouette of our wedding photo on the wall.

In the photo, Liam wore a crisp white shirt, his arm wrapped around my waist, his eyes crinkling with a brilliant smile.

Back then, he had just moved out of his parents' house. All his cards were frozen by his father, and he even had to borrow money from friends just for the apartment deposit.

He had dropped to one knee in that tiny rented apartment, holding a simple silver band, promising to give me the world.

Over the years, he had kept that promise.

The house, the car, the savings—we had it all.

But he had also built a home with another woman.

When dawn broke, I sat up from the couch.

Looking at the gray morning sky outside the window, I made my decision.

My daughter stumbled out of her room, rubbing her sleepy eyes, her hair a messy bird's nest.

"Mommy, are we still going to the theme park today?"

I knelt down and smoothed her hair.

"Yes. Mommy is taking you."

She immediately cheered and ran to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

Watching her little back, my chest felt like it was being squeezed by a tight fist.

Since the day she was born, the time Liam spent with her could be counted on one hand.

Birthdays, school plays, parent-child events—it was always just me.

Lily never complained. Occasionally, she would ask why Daddy couldn't make it. I would tell her he was busy, and she would just nod. Her maturity broke my heart.

Since it was the weekend, the theme park was packed.

Lily held my hand tightly, heading straight for the carousel the moment we walked through the gates.

I bought a ticket, lifted her onto a horse, and stood outside the railing, watching her wave at me.

After the carousel, she wanted to ride the bumper cars.

As I was standing in line after buying the tickets, she suddenly tugged on my shirt.

"Mommy, look. It's Daddy."