Introduction

It was our third wedding anniversary, and I sat alone at a dinner table set for two, a positive pregnancy test clutched in my hand.

I' d imagined telling Ethan a thousand times, picturing his joy, the final piece of our life together clicking into place.

But then headlights swept across the living room window, and relief turned to ice as I watched him help Chloe, his college sweetheart and the ghost of our marriage, out of the passenger door.

I knew, in that single, shattering moment, that it was over.

Chloe had waltzed back into our lives months ago, claiming heartbreak, and Ethan had swallowed it whole, canceling our plans to "cheer her up."

Now, she was in our living room, draped on our couch, with Ethan stroking her hair, a tenderness he hadn't shown me in months.

He accused me of being selfish for pointing out it was our anniversary, twisting our wedding vows into a weapon against me, defending Chloe with a venom I' d never seen directed at myself.

The fight left me, all hope draining away as I realized the man I loved was gone, replaced by a stranger who saw me with annoyance and disdain.

Then Chloe, with a smirk, told me I was just a placeholder, sending a photo of Ethan asleep in a hotel room, a kiss mark on his neck, sealing my fate.

My world went silent, the brutal truth hitting me: I had never stood a chance against her, the great love of his life.

I found the hidden divorce papers, a secret escape hatch he'd prepared, and signed my name.

When he finally stumbled in, smelling of whiskey and her perfume, I showed him the photo, and then he left again, for her, leaving me to pick up the shattered pieces of my life.

I was done being the quiet, steady one, the convenient wife.

I called my best friend, Sarah, determined to leave, ready to protect the tiny, secret life growing inside me from this poison.