Prologue:
On our seventh wedding anniversary, my great-grandmother came to me in a dream.
In that dream, she tapped me on the head with her cane, her face full of frustration.
“You fool. Your wife is cheating on you, and you still haven’t noticed.”
“Her lover—you’ll see him the moment you open your eyes.”
Half-believing, I opened my eyes and saw three men sitting in front of me.
One was my childhood friend, Daniel Brooks.
Another was Jason Walker, the college student Sophia and I had been sponsoring.
The last was Michael Harris, Sophia’s personal assistant.
My eyes swept across the three of them, doubt creeping into my chest.
So, which one of them was Sophia having an affair with?
When they saw me awake, all three exhaled in relief.
Daniel spoke first, his tone helpless.
“Ethan, could you maybe do something about Sophia? She called me at two in the morning, panicked that you were in terrible stomach pain, and begged me to come take care of you. If I hadn’t stopped her, she would’ve called 911.”
My heart softened immediately.
Ever since I started dating Sophia, every time I was hurt or sick, she worried more than if it were her own pain.
Last night my stomach had been unbearable. I’d only managed to sleep after taking two painkillers.
Sophia was on a business trip out of town, probably unable to reach me, so she had asked them to check in.
Michael chuckled, teasing as usual.
“See? Sophia still worries about you way too much. After all these years, you two are still acting like newlyweds. Makes people jealous.”
His tone carried the same light humor he always had.
I looked at him, uncertain.
Michael was six years older than Sophia and me. His daughter was already in elementary school.
He had a stable family, a calm personality, and was highly competent.
He’d been Sophia’s assistant for years.
In my mind, he was more like an older brother—I couldn’t imagine anything happening between them.
Just then, Mark Thompson, our butler, came in with a steaming bowl of homemade soup. His tone was filled with admiration.
“Mrs. Carter really takes good care of you, sir.”
I glanced carefully at Daniel, but his expression was normal—no jealousy, nothing unusual.
Jason, on the other hand, looked nervous. When Mark brought in the soup, he handed me a small box of dried fruit.
The moment I looked at him, Jason quickly lowered his head, avoiding my gaze. His voice was soft, uneasy.
“Ethan, this is an old remedy from our small town. It’s supposed to help with stomach problems, though it tastes bitter.”
A warmth stirred in my chest. I quickly thanked him.
“Jason, thank you. If this can ease the pain even a little, it’ll be a huge help.”
But as I spoke, I couldn’t help watching him.
His head was bowed, his fingers fidgeting at the frayed edges of his worn-out shirt. The fabric had faded, the cuffs coming apart.
He was in his early twenties, yet dressed poorer than Mark’s teenage son.
To ease the awkwardness, I made my tone deliberately light.
“To thank you for bringing this remedy, let’s go to the mall this afternoon. I’ll help you pick out a few proper outfits.”
Jason’s head shot up, his cheeks instantly flushing red.
“Ethan, no, really… I’m fine in these.”
I laughed and patted his shoulder.
“Don’t be silly. You’re the student Sophia and I sponsor. You should look the part of a college kid. If anyone saw you like this, they’d think we’ve been neglecting you.”
