Chapter 1

My laptop screen glowed with pictures of Miami beaches, the turquoise water looked unreal.

Kevin and I were finally going on our honeymoon next month.

"Almost booked, babe," I called out to him across our small Austin apartment.

He was knotting his tie, getting ready for work at the tech startup where we both worked.

"Great, Em. Just make sure it's refundable, you know, just in case."

His voice was a little tight. I frowned.

"In case of what?"

"Work stuff. Things are crazy right now."

He kissed my forehead quickly and left.

I worked in marketing, entry-level. He was a mid-level manager, ambitious.

My real life, the one where I was Emily Miller, heiress to Miller Holdings, was a secret.

Dad called it "real-world experience."

He wanted me to understand value, to learn before I took over.

So, I lived on my small salary, in this small apartment, with Kevin.

An hour later, my own boss, Victoria Sterling, VP of Marketing, called me into her office.

Her office was sleek, modern, cold, like her.

"Emily, have a seat."

Her smile didn't reach her eyes.

"The company is restructuring. Some positions are being eliminated."

My stomach dropped.

"Your position is one of them. Today is your last day."

Just like that. No warning.

"But... my performance reviews are good."

"It's not about performance, Emily. It's business. Tough decisions."

She slid a folder across the desk. Severance.

I felt numb. My honeymoon plans, our future.

I walked out of her office in a daze.

My desk was already being cleared by HR.

Kevin. I needed to talk to Kevin.

I called his phone. Straight to voicemail.

I texted him: "Victoria just fired me. Call me NOW."

No reply.

I went home, the severance papers clutched in my hand.

The apartment felt empty, mocking me with our shared life.

Hours passed. The sun set.

Finally, at 9 PM, Kevin walked in.

He looked tired, but also... excited?

"Em, you won't believe the day I had!"

He didn't even notice my face, my silence.

"Victoria promoted me! I'm taking on a huge new project. Heading to Miami tomorrow for a critical business trip with her."

Miami. Our honeymoon destination. With Victoria.

The pieces clicked together, sharp and painful.

"You got promoted? The day I got fired?"

He finally looked at me, his smile fading.

"Oh, Em, yeah, about that. I'm so sorry. Victoria told me. It's terrible timing."

"Terrible timing?" My voice was flat.

"She said it was a necessary cut. The company's struggling."

"And you're going to Miami with her? Tomorrow?"

He shifted his weight, avoiding my eyes.

"It's a huge opportunity, Em. For us. This promotion means more money, a better future."

"A better future? I don't have a job, Kevin."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Look, it's complicated."

Then I saw it. A small, almost invisible smudge of red lipstick on his collar. Victoria's shade.

And something else. A pharmacy bag on the counter I hadn't noticed.

I walked over, pulled out the contents. Prenatal vitamins.

My blood ran cold.

"What's this, Kevin?"

He froze.

"Em, I can explain."

"Explain what? That you're having an affair with my boss? The boss who fired me today?"

The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating.

Then he broke.

"Yes," he whispered. "But it's not what you think."

"Not what I think?" I laughed, a harsh, ugly sound.

"Victoria... she's pregnant, Em. With my child."

The world tilted. I grabbed the counter to steady myself.

Pregnant. His child.

"She... she came onto me," Kevin stammered, his face pale. "She has all this power, and she used it. Said it would help my career."

"And you just went along with it?"

"I was weak. I made a mistake. A huge mistake."

He reached for me, but I flinched away.

"And my job? Did you know she was going to fire me?"

He looked down, ashamed. "She said it was to protect you. From her jealousy. She said if you were out of the company, things would be easier."

"Protect me? By taking my job, my fiancé, and my future?"

Tears welled in my eyes, hot and angry.

"Em, please. I love you. This thing with Victoria, it's just... a situation. She'll get tired of me after the baby is born. She just wants the baby, not a real relationship. She told me so."

His words were a disgusting, tangled mess of excuses.

"She wants leverage, Kevin! And you gave it to her!"

"I know, I know. I messed up. But we can get through this. Just wait for me, Em. Please. Once the baby's here, she'll move on. We can still have our life."

He was actually asking me to wait.

To wait while he played house with another woman, raised a child with her.

The naivete he always saw in me, the gentleness, it was cracking.

Something cold and hard was forming in its place.

"Get out, Kevin."

"Em, don't do this."

"Get. Out."