Chapter 1

My life in Boston felt perfect, almost like a dream, and a big part of that was Eleanor, my mother-in-law.

She wasn't like the other Davenport women, stiff and old-fashioned.

Eleanor was from Silicon Valley, a former tech CEO, sharp and modern, and she didn't care for their ancient rules.

She married Arthur Davenport, the big boss of the family, head of their powerful law and private intelligence firm, but she stayed herself.

I came from a comfortable family, good money, but not this "elite" world of theirs.

Eleanor made it easy for me, she was my shield, my friend.

My marriage to Liam, her son, was everything, full of love, and he worked with his father in their serious, high-stakes business.

One Tuesday, the kind of crisp autumn day Boston does best, Eleanor called me.

Her voice was wrong, thin and shaky, not her usual strong tone.

"Chloe, can you come to the main house? Now."

I dropped everything, a knot forming in my stomach.

When I got there, the huge Davenport estate felt cold, even with the sun shining.

Eleanor was in her private study, a room usually full of light and energy, but today it was dim, curtains partly drawn.

She looked smaller, her usually perfect posture slumped.

"Arthur," she said, her voice barely a whisper, "he's moved another woman into the guesthouse."

I just stared, my mind blank. Arthur and Eleanor, they were the power couple, the ones who showed everyone else how a modern partnership could work in their stuffy circle.

"He says she's a consultant for the firm, needing a quiet place to work. A consultant, Chloe, in our guesthouse."

Her eyes were wide, filled with a pain I'd never seen there.

Then, like a dam breaking, my own worry spilled out.

"Liam," I confessed, the words tumbling out, "he's been so distant, Chloe. Working late every night, always on edge."

Eleanor looked at me, her own shock momentarily forgotten.

"And there's this woman," I continued, my voice trembling a little, "he says she's a new business associate, someone important. He set her up in a corporate apartment downtown."

He told me it was all business, very hush-hush, but he was different, cold.

The warmth we shared, it felt like it was fading, replaced by secrets.

Eleanor stood up, walked to the window, her back to me.

"Two women," she said, her voice flat. "Our husbands, Chloe."

The idyllic picture of my life, the one I cherished, cracked right down the middle.

My loving husband, my supportive mother-in-law's strong marriage, all of it suddenly felt like a lie.

The foundation of my world was shaking.