Chapter 1

After my best friend got out of an abusive marriage, I did everything to help her get back on her feet.

I gave her money, gave her a place to live, and even set her up with her own womenswear boutique.

She was shy and easily embarrassed, so I ran around on her behalf, promoting the shop and bringing in customers myself.

My fiancé, Joe Henson, frowned in disapproval.

"If she can't run a business, she shouldn't open one. You have to clean up after her every single time. What is she, a grown baby?"

That set off a fight between us.

"Yara Abbott is no different from my own little sister. When you disrespect her, you disrespect me!"

Later I spent six months abroad on business, and when I came back there were ninety-nine outfits from the boutique in the house.

Joe made a point of showing off over video call.

"See? Look how well I've taken care of your dummy friend's little shop. Aren't I good?"

I told myself, warmly, that this was his way of compromising because he loved me.

So I flew home early to surprise him.

Instead I walked in on Joe and my best friend tangled up together in the boutique's back room.

"Joe, same as always. Remember to give Zellie one of the outfits later. Don't give her money, or I'll feel guilty."

"Ninety-nine times now. You planning to hand her the whole store? I'm the one who wanted this, who chose to love you. You don't have to sacrifice your own interests!"

I stood outside the door, the blood in my body freezing over.

Those ninety-nine outfits weren't him supporting my best friend's business.

They were a count of how many times they'd betrayed me.

1

At two in the morning, the ashtray in front of me was piled with cigarette butts.

Finally the front door opened.

Joe walked in with Yara on his back, the two of them laughing and talking.

"Joe, put me down. I've put on weight lately, I'm heavy."

"Carrying the woman I love, I don't care how heavy you are."

Then they noticed me sitting on the sofa, and both of them froze at once.

Seeing the ninety-nine shopping bags heaped in the living room, Yara's expression shifted, and she quickly slid down off his back.

She gave a stiff laugh and reached for my hand.

"Zellie, you're back? My—my shoes didn't fit today, they rubbed my skin raw, so Joe just carried me home to deal with it—"

I didn't want to hear her clumsy excuse. I pulled my hand away.

"If I hadn't come back, I never would've known the keypad code on the house Joe and I were going to live in had been changed to your birthday."

Yara looked cornered, at a loss for how to explain, and instinctively turned to Joe.

Joe held out a cup of warm water to me.

"This place is close to Yara's shop. Sometimes she works too late doing inventory, and I worried she was worn out, and it isn't safe for a woman to go home alone in the middle of the night, so I let her rest here."

Over these past few years, Joe had learned how to throw an opponent off in business.

Now he was using it on me.

If he hadn't found the house empty in the dead of night, with neither of them reachable.

If I hadn't thought something was wrong, I never would have walked in on something so sickening.

I laughed, bitter.

"That's true. I bought the sofa in that back room too narrow. It must've been exhausting, the two of you on it."

I looked at Yara and nudged a shopping bag with my toe.

"Was my man good in bed? These clothes you gave me, are they the fee for buying your best friend's boyfriend? Very generous of you."

Yara's face went a shade paler. "Zellie, I'm sorry, I—"

Before she could finish, she covered her mouth and started to cry.

Joe immediately pulled her behind him and frowned at me.

"Zelda Barnes, calm down. I made the first move. Don't take it out on Yara, she can't handle harsh words."

He pressed the car keys into her hand and wiped her tears for her.

"There, don't cry. Go wait in the car for me, I'll be down soon."

That gentle tone, like he was soothing a child.

Yara glanced at me and murmured, "Then talk to Zellie properly. Don't fight because of me."

But my eyes caught on that little cartoon Conan bead keychain on the car keys.

It made a matched pair with the Ran charm hanging on Yara's phone.

"Didn't you say things like that were childish? That you didn't like them?"

Joe stood at the window, and only after he'd watched Yara safely get into the car did he answer me.

"Zellie, people change. Feelings... do too. I hope you can understand."

I gave a mocking little laugh.

People used to ask Joe if he ever got tired of me, after almost ten years together.

Joe would raise a brow and answer.

"Have you ever seen anyone get tired of the air? Zellie is my air. Without her, I'd suffocate."

And now he stood there in front of me, perfectly at ease, asking me to understand his cheating.

"The first time with her was March twelfth. The power went out at her place that night. She's afraid of the dark, and she didn't know who to call, and you were out of the country."

"When I got there, she was curled up in a corner, her face covered in tears, like a frightened little rabbit. It broke my heart."

My breath caught.

That was the night my stomach flared up out of nowhere, the pain leaving me shaking all over, and all I wanted was to hear Joe's voice.

But his phone wouldn't go through, no matter how many times I tried.

Afterward he said he'd been out late for a work thing and had fallen asleep, and I even told him not to wear himself out.

Thinking about it now, it was almost funny.

Joe slipped off our matching rings and set them gently on the coffee table.

"Zellie, Yara is more fragile than you. She needs my protection and care more than you do. I'm going to marry her."

"I'll leave this house to you as compensation. From here on we can still be friends and colleagues."

"It's fine if you hate me. But I hope you can at least go a little easier on Yara. Don't make her feel guilty."