Chapter 1

To support my wife Vivian at the grand opening of her new organic grocery store, I drove hundreds of miles back home.

But I got into a horrific car crash on the highway.

Right in front of me, in the other overturned vehicle, were my wife, my son, and a complete stranger.

I used every ounce of my strength to drag my wife and son out of the wreckage, but the moment they were free, they ignored me and rushed to save the other man.

They even dragged my bleeding body back, leaving me right next to the car that was about to explode.

Through the smoke and the roaring flames, I watched the three of them hug, looking like a perfect, loving family.

It turned out I had been living a lie the entire time.

But God gave me a second chance. I opened my eyes, back to the day before the accident.

"Wake up, buddy!"

The Uber driver woke me up from the back seat. We were almost home.

"Thank God, nothing happened."

I patted my chest, whispering to myself in relief.

"Hey, don't say bad-luck things in my car," the driver muttered, annoyed.

I apologized, but my shirt was already soaked in cold sweat.

The AC was running at the perfect temperature, but I had been terrified by that realistic nightmare.

Still shaken, I pulled out my phone and called my wife, Vivian.

"Are you asleep?"

Her irritated voice came through the speaker.

"Of course I am. Why are you calling so late? Aren't you worried about waking up Leo?"

Her tone stung, but as a workaholic who spent most of his time running the company, I always felt a lingering guilt toward my family. I softened my voice.

"I’m almost home. Isn't the grand opening of your new store tomorrow? I came back early to help out."

There was a long silence on the other end. Then, Vivian said impatiently, "I took Leo to my parents' place. His school has a Family Field Day tomorrow, and I’m taking him. Just handle the store opening. You don't need to come."

I wanted to tell her that I could rush through the store setup and maybe make it to the school event.

But the line had already gone dead.

In the past, because I was always busy with the business, I rarely made it to Leo’s school events. I had always tolerated Vivian’s coldness.

But that vivid nightmare made me doubt everything. What was she actually doing right now?

If I hadn't heard wrong, right before she hung up, I heard a muffled man's chuckle in the background.

And Vivian had let out a soft, breathless gasp—a sound I knew all too well.

The thought made my chest tighten with pain.

Vivian was my first love. She was the only woman I had ever loved since I turned twenty-eight.

Back then, our relationship wasn't blessed by our families.

Her parents looked down on me because I was nine years older than her, while my parents despised her family's background.

At the time, the Millers owned a small grocery store that was on the brink of bankruptcy.

My parents suspected Vivian was only with me for my money, so they refused to help her family's failing business.

In the end, I went on a hunger strike to force my parents to step in.

With my family’s financial backing, the Millers' store was saved, and Vivian was incredibly grateful.

She publicly proposed to me, promising she would be faithful to me forever.

I was too busy with work and hadn't planned on marrying so soon. But how could any man remain unmoved when a woman did so much for him?

That day, I believed I had made the right bet.

After we got married, Vivian struggled to get pregnant. We went to the hospital, but they couldn't find any issues.

Later, Vivian took me to see one of her doctor friends, Dr. Evans, who claimed my sperm count was extremely low and inactive.

Vivian didn't blame me. She told me that just having each other was enough.

Then one day, she brought home a baby boy, Leo, claiming she had adopted him through a private agency.

Our family of three was incredibly happy. Even though Leo wasn't my biological son, I showered him with all the love a father could give.

I thought we would be happy like this forever.

But that nightmare woke me up.

Was any of this real? Or had I just been blinded by my own desires?