Chapter 1

After I gave birth, the wives of my husband's business partners came together to visit me.

Smiling, I showed them the baby clothes, the pacifier, and the custom-made stroller Edwin Weiss had bought for our daughter abroad.

But they only exchanged glances, and after some hesitation, spoke with an odd look on their faces.

"These baby clothes are an old style. The collar's clearly yellowed. Anyone can tell they've been used."

"The pacifier was a promotional freebie from that brand two years ago, and the stroller tires are badly worn. It's probably been used plenty of times."

I froze where I stood, my fingertips gone cold.

The precious things Edwin claimed he'd handpicked and had custom-made were all dusty, secondhand junk.

Clutching my baby, I stumbled out the door and went straight to his company.

Through the half-open office door, I saw him holding Matilda Henson in his arms.

"Don't worry. You and your son are the family that matters most to me."

Matilda pouted and beat playfully at his chest. "Then why did you marry her in the first place?"

He gave a sneering laugh and pinched her chin.

"It's just a nine-ninety-nine fake certificate. Something to fool her with."

"Even the people picking through trash out there know quality better than she does. She deserves to be cheated."

A boy of three or four sat by his knee, calling him "Daddy" in a whiny voice.

The sunlight fell over the three of them like a perfect family portrait.

And my daughter and I were nothing but two extra shadows.

...

I pushed the door open and walked in. Edwin froze for a moment and let go of Matilda.

"What are you doing here?"

There wasn't a trace of guilt or shame in his eyes, only the irritation of being interrupted.

My throat closed up, and it was a long moment before I could speak. "You've had a child together all this time, and everything you gave my daughter was her son's used castoffs?"

He laughed softly, careless. "What did you expect? Did you really think I'd waste my time buying things for you?"

Ten years by his side, and all I got in return was his deceit.

Then what were my daughter and I, really?

"But you said you'd only ever have eyes for me!"

He was the one who chased me for a year. He was the one who swore he'd never have another.

But now the warmth was gone, and the man with the cold face was still Edwin.

He cut me off, looking down at me from above.

"Lorna Winfield, do you know why I got together with you in the first place?"

"Back then I'd just started my company. I was out meeting clients and chasing investment every day. In business, appearances matter most, and I needed someone I could take out in public."

"You were a TV host then. You knew how to talk, knew your limits. With you standing beside me, people thought I had taste."

So in his mind, I had only ever been a prop to make him look respectable.

Beside him, Matilda let out a smug little laugh, hugging the boy as she looked down on me.

"Back when Edwin got with you, I hadn't graduated from the dance academy yet. Otherwise he never would've picked you!"

I ignored her, my nails digging into my palms.

"Edwin, you were the one who told me to quit. You said you had money now, that you didn't need me out there in the spotlight, that I should stay home in peace and be the good wife."

He frowned, impatient. "But you spend all day at home raising a kid, looking a mess. When my business partners see you now, they think I brought home a nanny for a wife."

"If you had even a shred of sense, you'd know I was just being polite back then. You believed it yourself. Whose fault is that?"

The boy suddenly ran over and kicked me in the shin.

"You're a bad woman! Don't come and steal my daddy!"

My body was still weak, fresh from giving birth, and the pain made me stagger back a step.

Matilda strolled over unhurried and led the boy back.

"Baby, don't mind her. She's one of your daddy's friends who doesn't know how to behave."

My daughter woke in my arms, her little mouth crumpling as she let out a faint cry.

But Edwin acted as if he heard nothing, as though even one glance was too much to spare.

"Lorna Winfield, if you know what's good for you, you'll go home and raise the kid quietly. Stop showing up to grate on my eyes."

"Go home. Don't embarrass yourself here. Just pretend none of this ever happened."

"As long as you behave, I won't turn against you openly. After all, to outsiders you're still my faithful wife."

I wanted to break down and demand answers, but reason told me:

Everything he said was right. I truly had nothing to fight him with.

All the family's money was in Edwin's hands. I didn't have a cent of savings, no ground to stand on to go head-to-head with him.

I turned with my daughter in my arms and walked out.

Before the door closed behind me, I heard Matilda's voice.

"Edwin, the baby kicked her just now. She won't cause trouble, will she?"

"That kid of hers didn't get bumped or scraped. More to the point, is our son's foot hurting?"

I felt as if I'd fallen into a pit of ice. My voice came out hoarse as I soothed my daughter.

"Mommy's here. Nina isn't afraid."