Chapter 1

The gravel crunched under the tires of Sarah' s car as she pulled up to the Hamptons estate. Their anniversary. Ten years. She carried a small, perfectly wrapped gift.

Inside, the house was quiet, too quiet.

A knot formed in Sarah' s stomach.

She walked towards the master bedroom.

Laughter. A woman' s laughter, not hers.

Her hand froze on the doorknob.

She pushed it open.

Ethan, her husband, was there. And Jessica Thorne, his executive assistant. They weren't just talking.

Sarah' s breath caught. The gift slipped from her hand, thudding softly on the expensive rug.

Ethan looked up, his eyes, usually cold, now held a flicker of surprise, quickly replaced by annoyance.

Jessica smirked, pulling the silk robe tighter around herself.

"Sarah. You' re early." Ethan said, his voice smooth, like this was a business meeting she' d interrupted.

Sarah' s voice was a hoarse whisper. "Our anniversary, Ethan."

He waved a dismissive hand. "Things change."

Jessica giggled, a high, sharp sound.

"Get out, Jessica." Sarah' s words were low, trembling.

Ethan stepped in front of Jessica. "She' s not going anywhere. We need to talk, Sarah."

He walked towards her, picking up the fallen gift. He didn' t open it.

"This... us... it' s not working, is it?"

Tears pricked Sarah' s eyes. She wouldn' t let them fall. Not in front of them.

"You' re cheating on me. On our anniversary."

"Cheating is such an ugly word," Ethan said, his lips curling into a sneer. "I' m merely... diversifying my portfolio."

He paused, then, as if offering a generous concession, he said, "Look, I' ve been thinking. An open marriage."

Sarah stared at him. "What?"

"It' s modern. Progressive. You can do whatever you want. I' ll do whatever I want. No secrets, no lies. Well, fewer lies." He chuckled.

He expected her to be grateful. Or to break down. He clearly didn' t expect her to be silent.

"You think I would agree to that?" she finally managed.

Ethan shrugged, his arrogance a suffocating blanket in the room.

"You don' t really have a choice, do you, darling? You like this life. The money, the status. What are you going to do? Run back to that rundown farm in Pennsylvania?"

He reached for his wedding ring, a heavy gold band. He twisted it off his finger.

He looked at it, then at her.

Then, he threw it on the floor. It skittered across the polished wood, stopping near her feet.

"Think about it, Sarah. It' s a good offer. For you."

He turned back to Jessica, his arm going around her waist. "Now, if you' ll excuse us."