Chapter 1

The positive pregnancy test sat on the marble countertop of the restaurant' s bathroom, its two pink lines a stark, joyful secret in the quiet space. I took a quick photo, my hand trembling slightly, and sent it to my best friend, Chloe, with a string of happy-face emojis.

Today was the day. Andrew and I were having our wedding menu tasting at Auberge, the pinnacle of Napa Valley dining. It felt like the universe was aligning perfectly. A baby, a wedding, a shared future built on seven years of love that started back in culinary school.

I walked out of the bathroom, my heart feeling too big for my chest. I was early, so I decided to find Andrew in the vineyard. I pictured his face when I told him, the way his blue eyes would light up.

As I neared the rows of old-growth vines, I heard his voice, low and urgent. He was talking to his best man, David. I slowed my steps, not wanting to interrupt.

"I had to, Dave. I married her yesterday. At the county courthouse."

The world tilted. My breath caught in my throat.

"It' s for the family, for my brother' s legacy," Andrew continued, his voice strained. "Maria has no one, and she's carrying his child. My mother insisted. It' s a Scott heir."

David said something I couldn't hear.

"Stella can never know," Andrew said, his voice dropping to a raw whisper. "I love her. I will spend the rest of my life making this up to her, but she can never, ever find out. This wedding, our life together... it has to go on. It's the only way."

I stood frozen, hidden by the thick leaves of a Cabernet Sauvignon vine. The joy from moments ago curdled into something cold and heavy in my stomach. My fiancé. My Andrew. Married. To Maria, his dead brother' s girlfriend.

My hand instinctively went to my stomach. The secret I was so excited to share now felt like a lead weight. I backed away slowly, the gravel crunching too loudly under my shoes. I pulled out my phone, my fingers clumsy and numb. I found the picture of the pregnancy test, the two pink lines that had promised a future.

I held my finger over the delete button.

Then I pressed it.

The image vanished. I opened my contacts and found the number for the Planned Parenthood clinic in the next town over. I scheduled an appointment for the following week. My voice was steady, calm. A stranger' s voice.

I felt a bitter coldness spread through me, a chilling clarity. He thought I would never find out. He thought he could have it all: his duty to his family and a life with me, built on a foundation of lies. He had no idea who I was. He had no idea what I was capable of.

I walked back toward the restaurant, my posture perfect, my expression serene. The tasting was about to begin. And I had a performance to give.