Chapter 2

The drive back to the house we shared was a blur. My hands shook on the steering wheel, and I had to pull over twice because I couldn' t see the road through my tears. The house, a modern masterpiece I had designed myself, looked cold and alien.

I let myself in, my movements stiff and robotic. I needed proof. I needed to see it, to touch the reality of his betrayal. His closet was the first place I went. It was orderly, filled with his expensive suits and casual wear. But in the back, behind a row of winter coats, I saw it. A section of women' s clothing. Not mine. The style was similar, but the sizes were slightly different. The fabrics felt foreign under my fingertips.

There was a floral dress I' d never seen, a silk blouse, a pair of designer jeans. Panic clawed at my throat. How many times had she been here? Worn these clothes in my house? Slept in my bed?

My mind flashed back to a few weeks ago. Liam had come home late, smelling faintly of a perfume that wasn' t mine. He' d smiled, a slow, charming smile that always melted me. "Sorry, honey. Had to entertain a client. You know how it is." He had kissed me, his lips warm, and I had believed him without a second thought. He was always working late, always entertaining clients. The perfect, devoted businessman.

I backed out of the closet, a wave of nausea washing over me. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe there was an explanation. Maybe these were old clothes from before me, or a gift for his sister he' d forgotten about. My mind scrambled for any plausible reason, any lifeline to pull me back from this abyss of despair.

But then I saw the jewelry box on his dresser, one I' d never noticed before. It was tucked away behind his watch case. My fingers trembled as I opened it. Inside, nestled on black velvet, was a woman' s diamond bracelet. It wasn' t extravagant, but it was elegant and clearly expensive. It wasn't mine.

Just then, my phone buzzed. It was a notification from the baby app I' d downloaded. "Congratulations! Your little peanut is now the size of a blueberry. Time to start thinking about names!" A fresh wave of tears choked me. My baby. Our baby. I slid down the wall, clutching my stomach, the phone falling from my hand. This miracle, this symbol of our love, was now tainted by his lies. How could I bring a child into this world of deception?

A sound from downstairs startled me. Liam' s car was in the driveway. He was home early. I scrambled to my feet, my heart pounding, and ducked into the adjoining home office, leaving the door slightly ajar. I needed to hear his voice, to see if I could detect the lie in it.

He walked into the bedroom, humming a cheerful tune. He didn' t notice the disturbed clothes in the closet or the open jewelry box. He immediately picked up his phone and made a call.

"Hey," he said, his voice dropping to an intimate, gentle tone that I knew so well. It was the voice he used with me. "I miss you."

A pause. I held my breath, my entire body rigid.

"No, she doesn' t suspect a thing," he continued, a note of amusement in his voice. "She' s so trusting. It' s almost sad."

My blood ran cold. He was talking about me.

"I know, I know. It' s just for a little while longer. Once the Davies family assets are fully transferred, we can be together properly. You just have to be patient, Sienna."

Sienna. The name hit me again, this time with the force of a physical blow. He wasn't just cheating. This was a long-term plan. He was using me for my family's money. The man I loved, the man I was having a child with, saw me as a means to an end.

"Don' t be like that," he cooed into the phone. "You know you' re the one I want. She' s just... a substitute. A shadow. She looks like you, that' s all. It makes it easier to pretend when I' m with her. But she' ll never be you."

A substitute. A shadow. The words echoed in the silent room, each one a fresh stab of pain. He didn't love me. He didn't even see me. He saw a convenient replacement for the woman he truly wanted. A woman who looked just like me.

"Of course I' m coming to you tonight," he said, his voice filled with false sincerity. "I' ll just tell Chloe I have an emergency meeting. She' ll believe anything I say. I' ll see you in an hour. I love you."

He hung up. I heard him moving around, grabbing a bag, his footsteps light and carefree. The front door opened and closed. And then, there was only silence. A vast, empty silence that was filled with the deafening sound of my heart breaking.