Chapter 1

The music was too loud, a thumping bass that vibrated through the floor and into my bones. It was supposed to be a celebration, our third wedding anniversary, but Olivia had insisted on turning our quiet dinner into a full-blown party with all her friends.

I had been held up at work, a last-minute crisis I couldn't avoid, but I' d rushed here as fast as I could, holding a small, velvet box in my pocket.

I pushed through the crowd of laughing, drinking people, looking for her. I finally spotted her in the center of the living room, a radiant smile on her face, but she wasn't looking for me. She was looking at Liam Hayes.

Liam, her childhood best friend, the famous actor who was always just a little too close, was down on one knee in front of my wife. My wife. He was holding a diamond ring that caught the party lights and threw them across the room.

"Olivia," Liam' s voice was smooth, practiced for cameras and adoring fans, "I know this is sudden, but I can't hide it anymore. I've loved you since we were kids. Marry me."

My steps faltered. A cold knot formed in my stomach. This had to be a joke, some stupid, elaborate prank. But then Olivia' s friends started cheering.

"Say yes, Olivia!" one of them screamed.

"Kiss him! Kiss him!" another chanted, and the whole room picked it up.

Olivia didn't push him away. She didn't say, "Liam, stop, I'm married." Instead, she giggled, a light, airy sound that grated on my ears. She reached out and touched his cheek, her eyes sparkling with a kind of thrill. "Liam, you' re so silly," she said, her voice a flirtatious whisper.

She was enjoying this. The attention, the drama, the sight of another man proposing to her on her anniversary with her husband.

I couldn't watch anymore. I pushed my way forward, my voice tight. "What the hell is going on here?"

The cheering died down. All eyes turned to me. Olivia finally saw me, and her smile faltered for a second. "Ethan! You're here." She stood up, brushing off her dress. "It's just a game, honey. Liam is always joking around."

Liam stood up too, a smug look on his face. "Just a bit of fun, Miller. Don't be so uptight."

"A game?" I looked from the ring in his hand to Olivia's unconcerned face. "Proposing to my wife is a game?" My heart was pounding with a mix of anger and a deep, aching hurt.

Before Olivia could answer, Liam suddenly cried out and stumbled, clutching his ankle. "Ah, my ankle! I think I twisted it." He leaned heavily on Olivia, his face contorted in a parody of pain.

Instantly, Olivia' s attention shifted. "Liam! Are you okay? Oh my god, let me see." She knelt, her hands fussing over his perfectly fine-looking ankle. She completely forgot I was even there.

"I need to get off my feet," Liam moaned, his eyes darting to me with a triumphant glint. "Olivia, can you help me to the guest room?"

"Of course," she said, her voice laced with worry. "Everyone, the party's over! Sorry, Liam is hurt." She started to help him limp away, abandoning our anniversary, abandoning me.

I reached out and grabbed her arm. "Olivia, wait. We need to talk about this."

She ripped her arm away, her face twisting into an ugly scowl I had never seen before. "Talk about what, Ethan? You ruined the party! You embarrassed me! I wish you'd never come home at all." Her words hit me harder than a physical blow.

"Just get out of my way," she spat, her voice cold and full of contempt.

As she turned to help Liam again, her body slammed into mine. I was off-balance, standing at the very top of the main staircase. The push was hard, careless. My feet tangled, and the world tilted.

I remember a collective gasp from the few remaining guests. I remember Olivia' s back as she walked away with Liam, not even bothering to look behind her.

Then, there was only a sharp, cracking pain as my body tumbled down the hard wooden stairs. My head hit the wall at the bottom, and everything went black.