Chapter 3

"Are you sure? You saw this with your own eyes?"

Chloe sat across from me, stirring her cappuccino, her face a mask of shock.

I laid the toxicology report, the land transfer document, and the photos I took at Emerald Bay on the table between us.

"Chloe, I need you to find me a top-tier divorce lawyer. I'm getting out."

She stared at the papers for a long time before she slowly spoke.

"Audrey, don't do anything reckless."

"These photos... are you sure that’s your mom's bracelet? Emerald cuffs are common. What if you're mistaken?"

I stared at her.

"Do you really think I wouldn't recognize my own mother’s heirloom?"

"I don't mean it like that," she said quickly, grabbing my hand. "I’m just saying, you know Ethan. He treats you like a queen. What if this is all a misunderstanding? If you make a scene now, you'll ruin your marriage, and you'll be the one who suffers."

"Drugging my tea for seven years is a 'misunderstanding'?"

"Maybe... maybe he was just worried about your insomnia, and he went about it the wrong way..."

I slowly pulled my hand back.

For the first time, I looked closely at the woman I had called my best friend for fifteen years.

She had a fresh French manicure. On her wrist was the latest Cartier Love bracelet. Just three months ago, she was crying to me about maxing out her credit cards and needing to sell her car.

More importantly, resting on the chair next to her was a wine-red Louis Vuitton Capucines bag.

I had seen the receipt for that exact bag in Ethan's study drawer a week ago. The memo on the receipt read: *"For Chloe. Happy Birthday."*

Chloe.

"Nice bag," I said. "When did you get it?"

"Oh, this?" She instinctively shoved the bag behind her back. "I got it on sale. It wasn't that expensive."

"That model never goes on sale," I said flatly.

Chloe's face froze for a fraction of a second.

Just a fraction. But it was enough.

"Audrey, you're being paranoid. Now you're suspicious of me?" She stood up, her voice turning defensive. "I'm trying to look out for you, and this is how you treat me?"

"Ethan gives you everything. He literally just bought you an eight-million-dollar penthouse. Most women would kill for your life. Why do you have to ruin a good thing?"

I didn't answer.

She rattled off a few more excuses and left in a hurry, claiming she had an afternoon meeting.

But she didn't have a job.

That night, I checked the transaction records of Ethan’s secondary credit card. The Louis Vuitton bag was purchased a week before I found the trust document.

He had been planning this for a long time.

He had bought off everyone around me, cutting off all my exits.

My phone buzzed again. It was a voice note from Chloe on Snapchat.

I tapped it. Her voice was sweet, dripping with fake concern:

"Audrey, I asked around about that Emerald Bay address. It's actually a corporate house owned by Ethan's company for out-of-town executives. He was probably just there for business. Seriously, stop overthinking it. Count your blessings."