Chapter 3

His tone was flippant. "How else would I handle it? Just grit my teeth and hold it in."

I stared at the screen, cold all over.

Leah pushed away his roaming hands, a trace of worry in her voice. "But what if Brenda finds out the truth and makes a scene?"

Duke's voice was certain and cold. "Look at the state of her now. Bloated and heavy from the hormone shots, needle scars all over her. What right does she have to make a scene with me?"

A flicker of smugness crossed his face.

"You know why the IVF failed so many times? I swapped her fertility drugs for ibuprofen. Works against the treatment."

"Just the day before yesterday, the doctor told me to talk her out of the IVF, said her life came first. I ignored it. I want her to try until she gives up completely."

I froze on the bed, the blood in my veins turning to ice in an instant.

Their laughter drifted over, as if mocking my stupidity.

On the camera, Duke was still thoughtfully putting food on Leah's plate.

"I like playing it risky right under her nose. And the child I want, Duke Gilbert only wants to have it with you."

My fury hit its peak. I shoved the door open and rushed out in front of them.

My body wouldn't stop shaking. "Eight years of lying to me. Aren't you two tired of the act?"

Duke frowned faintly, and after a brief pause he immediately turned, shielding Leah behind him.

His voice was full of impatience. "I saw Leah's your sister, so I chatted with her a little longer. What are you throwing a fit about now?"

Leah went right along with it.

"That's right, little sister. The worst thing between a husband and wife is groundless suspicion. Stop dragging out small things to give your brother-in-law a hard time."

Duke's frown deepened.

I stopped staying silent and slammed the camera footage down on the table.

For an instant panic flashed across his face, but he quickly recovered his calm.

He stepped forward, reaching to pull me toward him. I turned aside and dodged.

"I know I've wronged you. But think about it, I hid this from you because I didn't want to ruin the bond between you and your sister."

Hiding it was for my own good? My hatred erupted completely. I raised my hand and flipped the dining table over.

Cups, plates, and chopsticks crashed to the floor, shards flying everywhere.

Leah looked at the man beside her, displeased. "Look at her! Completely out of control. If she keeps making scenes like this, there'll never be any peace in this house."

Then she shot me a cold glance, turned, and walked out.

Duke had no time to stand off against me. He rushed out the door after her.

He ran fast, his shoulder slamming into the entryway cabinet. The fertility charm figurine that had sat there in worship for so long crashed hard to the floor.

The shattering sound burst out, and a sharp shard of porcelain sliced across my calf, blood running out without stopping.

At the sound, the man's steps halted.

He turned his head, saw the scene behind him, his eyes cold, then chased out the door without a backward glance.

Three years ago, Duke, who had never been superstitious, made a special trip to an old chapel on the city outskirts to bring back this figurine, and every day he worshiped it with me.

Only today did I learn that day was the first night he and Leah spent together.

Eight years of hoping shattered to pieces along with that figurine.

I stumbled into the study, wanting to find more evidence, to pour out every grievance to Mom and Dad.

Duke's personal computer sat lit on the desk. I tried typing in my sister's birthday, and it logged in smoothly.

In the chat app synced to it, a four-person group jumped into view.

Trembling, I opened it.

The members were my husband, my own sister, and my own parents. Only I had been left out.

Our original five-person family group chat, the last message frozen on the New Year's greeting I had sent.

The pale glow of the screen lit my face as the conversation inside slammed into my eyes.

Leah had tagged everyone in the group.

"The thing between me and Duke can't be hidden anymore. Be ready. She might come to you looking for justice."

Mom was the first to jump in.

"Justice? The Mrs. Gilbert spot was yours to begin with. She took your man for eight whole years and actually thought she was the lady of the house. What face does she have to make a scene with you?"

Dad wasn't about to be outdone. He even used three angry emojis in a row.

"It was going to come out sooner or later. If Duke hadn't been unwilling to let you suffer alongside him back then, how would it ever have fallen to her? She got to enjoy eight easy years for nothing. Now that you're back, she should hand the spot over to you on her own."

I laughed until I cried.

When I married him, Duke wasn't the Mr. Gilbert everyone stands in awe of now. The company was on the brink of bankruptcy.

After the wedding, to prop him up, I gritted my teeth and earned six professional certifications in a single year.

I saw him through countless crises and forced that company all the way to going public.

They couldn't bear to gamble my sister's marriage, afraid she'd suffer.

But I was a daughter too, and somehow it was my lot to pave the road for her.

The group chat kept going. Leah seemed to feel a flicker of pity.

"But she went through a lot for the IVF too. Wouldn't this be too cruel to her?"

The group went suddenly quiet, and my heart tightened along with it.