### Chapter 1
My husband was an honest man who didn't know the first thing about romance. No diamond ring at the wedding. Not a single flower in five years. In bed, he was a plank of wood.
When I finally got pregnant and asked him to come to my prenatal checkup, he frowned like I was asking too much：
“Next time, okay? I've got to keep grinding so you and the baby can have a good life.”
My friends all said the same thing：“Professor Sanchez stays in the lab until midnight every night earning formula money. He's loyal, he doesn't mess around. You should be grateful.”
I told myself the same thing. He just wasn't wired for romance.
Then I walked out of the hospital alone after my checkup, and my feet stopped dead.
Across the street, Frederick Sanchez was carefully helping a young actress into a Bugatti.
This man who had shared a cramped old apartment with me for five years was dressed head to toe in couture, a Patek Philippe on his wrist, every hair in place.
Nine hundred and ninety-nine roses nearly buried Vanessa Sterling whole. He leaned down and kissed her.
That face—always so flat and indifferent—wore an expression I had never once seen: reverent, doting, utterly tender.
I stood frozen on the sidewalk, one hand over my five-month belly, tears blurring everything.
That night, I logged into a second account and pulled up the feed Frederick had blocked me from.
A ten-carat diamond ring, slid onto her finger as he knelt. A year's worth of travel photos spanning the globe……
He was never a poor professor. He was never cold by nature.
His generosity, his romance, had simply never been meant for me.
I wiped my eyes and made a phone call：
“I accept the offer. I'll lead Westfield Group's ten-billion-dollar project.”
In five days I would fly across the ocean and disappear from his life.
1.
It was the blocked feed that finally showed me: my husband wasn't just a university professor. He was a partner in a major corporation.
His annual salary wasn't the pittance he'd told me. It was tens of millions.
A year ago, Vanessa Sterling had visited his university to research a role. That was how they met.
Good-morning and good-night texts every single day since.
She was often away on location, but she sent him everything：shopping trips, coffee runs, glamorous on-set photos.
No matter what she posted, Frederick never left her hanging.
One photo, ten thousand dollars. A reward for sharing her day.
And when I shared something with him? The same line, every time：
“Audrey, I'm in class. We'll talk when I'm done.”
To keep Vanessa happy, he threw luxury goods at her like money was nothing.
On my birthday, he'd also given me something once. A bracelet. He said it had cost him two months' salary.
I cried so hard that day. I was so moved.
Now I knew the truth. It was a freebie Vanessa had tossed in the trash.
Had he been laughing at me the whole time? His pathetic, gullible wife?
Then came the thousandth photo in the feed. Frederick on one knee, sliding a diamond ring onto Vanessa's finger.
“I'll protect your future. That's my promise.”
I looked down at my own bare ring finger, and the pain drove through my chest like a thousand needles.
My hands shaking, I tapped the latest update.
It was Vanessa's positive pregnancy test.
My mind went blank.
Frederick had given her a supercar to celebrate：
“Only the finest things are worthy of what you're going through to carry our child.”
And my “reward” for being pregnant?
Hand-washing his underwear for five years straight so he could save a few dollars.
Footsteps at the door. Frederick was home.
He'd changed back into his threadbare old button-down, fraying at the edges. Behind those black-framed glasses his face still looked honest, decent. But now all I could see was a wolf in sheep's clothing.
When he noticed my red-rimmed eyes, he paused, then quickly crossed the room and pulled me into his arms.
“What's wrong? Did something come up at the checkup?”
I didn't answer. He sighed and leaned in to kiss me.
“One of my grad students made a mess in the lab. I had to clean it up.”
“How about French food tomorrow? We can call it a makeup dinner for our anniversary. Sound good?”
The heavy perfume still clinging to him hit my nose and my stomach turned.
“Don't bother. I'm not worthy of anything that expensive.”
I turned away from his lips and stepped out of his arms.
Last year on this same date, I sat in a restaurant waiting for him for five hours. When he finally picked up the phone, his voice was nothing but irritation：
“Didn't I tell you I'm running an experiment? Stop bothering me.”
As if he'd completely forgotten what day it was.
So he remembered after all. Only this time he felt uneasy enough to think about "making it up to me."
“Audrey, what is your problem? I'm shelling out for a big dinner and you're still not satisfied? What exactly do you want from me?”
Pure annoyance on his face, as if I were the one being unreasonable.
I had followed this man for years without so much as buying myself a decent piece of clothing.
One French dinner. Compared to everything he gave Vanessa, what was that?
I was about to speak when his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen, and every crease of irritation vanished.
“Frederick, the baby kicked me… my tummy hurts. Can you come stay with me?”
A sweet, breathy voice leaked from the speaker.
Frederick panicked. He turned and headed straight for the door.
Only at the threshold did he seem to remember I existed, not even looking back：“Emergency at the lab. I've got to go. Get some sleep.”
I watched the man and all his lies disappear through the door, and I laughed until the tears came.
Five more days. Then you won't have to sneak around anymore. I'll set you free.
Half an hour later, Vanessa's social media updated.
“How does this man love me so much~”
In the video, Vanessa was doubled over with morning sickness. Frederick, the germaphobe, caught her vomit in his bare hands without a second of hesitation.
I thought of a few weeks ago, when I threw up all over the floor. He didn't even try to hide his disgust.
I begged him to take me to the hospital. He yanked his hand out of mine：
“I have an important review today. If I miss it, I might not get promoted. Take a cab. Be good.”
