Chapter 1 Ch1 - Who is she

At the hospital.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Lopez. You're pregnant. The baby looks healthy."

Emily gripped the report tightly. The doctor's words rang in her ears, and her face went blank with shock.

Pregnant? She was stunned-and thrilled. It felt unreal.

Her health had always been fragile, making it difficult to conceive. In the three years since their wedding, her belly had remained flat. She'd carried the guilt of not being able to give her husband a child.

And now, out of nowhere, the universe had decided to give her this gift-right on their third wedding anniversary.

Seeing the joy spread across Emily's face, the doctor continued, "I'll go ahead and set up your file. Make sure to bring the baby's dad with you next time. A lot of things during pregnancy, he needs to hear too."

Stepping out of the exam room, Emily gently laid a hand over her still-flat belly. There's already a little life in here. The overwhelming emotion finally reached her eyes. She blinked quickly.

I have to tell Aaron. Right now!

She instinctively pulled out her phone and tapped the first contact in her list.

But after just one second, the call dropped automatically.

That's odd.

She thought about texting him instead. Her fingers started moving, but halfway through the message, she stopped. Then deleted everything.

No. She wanted to tell him in person.

Walking out of the hospital, she flagged down a cab and gave the driver the address of Aaron's office.

It was right around lunchtime-perfect timing to surprise him and grab a meal together.

When she arrived on his floor, she noticed something off. The secretary's desk, which was usually occupied, was empty. David's probably out for lunch?

She glanced toward the CEO's office and saw the door slightly ajar.

Without thinking twice, she headed straight for it.

She rarely came to his office like this, but today... he'd be happy to see her.

She walked up to the door and raised her hand, about to knock-when a sweet, sugary giggle rang out from inside.

"Come on, just give it to me."

It was a girl's voice-soft, flirtatious.

Emily froze.

Then came a lazy, low male voice.

"Be good, don't make a fuss."

Her pupils shrank.

That voice-she'd never mistake it. It belonged to the man who slept beside her every night.

Aaron Lopez.

Her husband.

Blood surged through her body, boiling hot.

No. No way.

There had to be some kind of misunderstanding.

She forced her emotions down, lowered her hand from the door... and wrapped it around the handle instead.

Then she pushed it open.

The big office fell into an eerie silence. Only the hum of the AC remained.

And in the very first second, Emily saw it.

A woman was perched sideways in a man's lap, eyes wide with innocent surprise, tugging playfully at his tie.

His loose, almost-falling-off tie.

The whole scene was... intimate. Way too intimate.

Emily felt like the blood in her veins reversed direction, rushing to her head. Her voice trembled.

"What are you two doing?"

Aaron's brows knit together instantly, his voice sharp and cold.

"WHAT are you doing here?"

What am I doing here?

Emily bit her lip and swept her gaze across the two of them, her hand still gripping the doorknob so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Aaron gently patted the woman's waist.

"Get up."

She pouted, clearly not wanting to, but finally slid off his lap with a reluctant, "Fine..."

Once she stood up, her full face was in view-And Emily's heart skipped a beat.

She couldn't believe her eyes.

This woman... looked SO MUCH like her.

Similar bone structure, Similar body type, even the same hair color.

The only difference? Their eyes. The color, the shape-slightly off. But everything else?

Practically a mirror.

A memory flashed through her mind.

One of Aaron's friends once joked that his ex looked a lot like her. She'd laughed it off at the time, never thinking twice.

After all, he married her. That meant he'd left the past behind.

And the past three years? Their marriage, their bond-It couldn't have been fake... could it?

Aaron used to say how good she looked with brown hair. She'd dyed it again and again, even though she was naturally blonde.

In bed, he always blindfolded her. She thought it was just kink.

But now?

A wave of nausea slammed into her. She barely managed to slap a hand over her mouth.

"What's wrong?"

Aaron's voice, and the woman's startled gasp, came at the same time.

Hold it together.

Emily repeated it to herself, again and again.

Stay calm. You've got a baby now. You need to be calm.

Aaron came over and tried to guide her to the couch.

He still cares. It was just a misunderstanding.That thought clung to her like a lifeline.

The second she looked up, she caught the woman's gaze-sharp, smug, arms crossed over her chest.

That fragile little act from earlier? Gone.

She was behind Aaron. He couldn't see. But Emily could.

Emily tore her eyes away and looked at Aaron, "Who is she?"

Her voice was low but steady. She locked eyes with him-desperate, clinging to the tiniest hope.

Just SAY it was nothing. That it's not what it looked like. That he's STILL the father of the child inside her.

But...

Aaron's expression was unreadable. "You're pale. I'll get my assistant to take you to the hospital."

The last thread of her sanity snapped.

Emily raised her voice, "I asked you-WHO IS SHE?!"

She stood, pointing toward the corner, her hand shaking. Her feet moved on their own, taking her closer and closer.

The woman blinked, startled for a second. Then her brows pulled together and she slipped back into her innocent act.

"Aaron..."

Her eyes welled with tears almost instantly.

Aaron, who had been standing behind Emily, moved fast-rushing between them with his arms spread out, facing his wife like a shield.

Like he was protecting the other woman.

"Emily, calm down."

Calm down? He never called her that. He always said Em.

Now it was Emily?

Emily watched as the woman behind him reached out and touched his arm.

Her chest burned.

She let out a bitter laugh, "Is it really that hard to answer one question?"

Just yesterday, this man had been in bed with her-holding her, loving her.

Now? He looked at her like she was insane. Confused. Cold.

"It's not what you think," he said flatly. "Stop making a scene. Ami just accidentally sat on my lap. It wasn't intentional. You're overreacting."

Ami...

Emily felt her heart freeze, piece by piece.

He waited until she snapped before offering an explanation-barely even that. He wasn't worried about her. He was worried about that woman.

"You guys, please don't fight over me... it's all my fault..." Amelia tugged at Aaron's sleeve, her voice soft and self-blaming.

Aaron sighed, turning toward her, "Don't worry about it. Go home for now, alright?"

Emily's fists clenched so tight her nails dug into her palms. Every word out of their mouths made her stomach churn.

She glared at them, her voice like ice, "You don't need to leave. I'LL GO."