Chapter 1

My boyfriend of seven years, Ethan Brooks, suddenly became obsessed with theater. He spent all his time at the playhouse, practically living there.

On our anniversary, I drove to pick him up, carrying a cake I had spent the entire day baking at a dessert studio.

But outside the theater, Ethan was holding hands with Madison Vance, his high school crush who worked as a stage actress there.

He looked at me and ordered me to take off my coat and lay it over the puddle in front of the passenger door.

"Babe, your beautiful feet will get ruined if they get wet," Ethan said to her.

Madison blushed, looking incredibly shy. "Oh, Ethan, stop it. There are other people here. You’re making a fool of me in front of Chloe."

Ethan then pushed me out of the driver's seat.

"It’s pouring out here. She’s a talented, beautiful actress—what if she catches a cold? You, on the other hand, are tough. Think of the rain as a free shower."

Madison stared at me with wide, innocent eyes. "Chloe, I have a show tomorrow and really need to get back early for my beauty sleep. Thanks for the ride!"

It was pouring, and the theater was in a remote area. It took me three hours of walking in the freezing rain to finally get home.

I immediately canceled our restaurant reservation and returned the luxury Rolex watch I had bought for him.

I was done with this relationship.

The moment I stepped inside the house, I felt a deep chill in my bones, and my forehead was burning hot.

I popped some fever reducers, wrapped myself in a thick blanket, and sat at my desk to prep my lecture notes.

It was past midnight when the front door finally clicked open.

Ethan’s tie was loosened, his suit jacket was wrinkled, and a few messy strands of hair fell over his forehead. There was a faint smudge of dark red lipstick on his collar.

He didn’t offer a single explanation for coming home so late.

I walked up to him and held out my hand. "My car keys."

Ethan immediately frowned, looking defensive and alert. "What’s the rush?"

I caught a strong whiff of an unfamiliar, sweet rose perfume radiating from him. "I left some documents in the car," I said calmly. "I need them for my academic presentation tomorrow."

He hesitated for a moment before slowly fishing the keys out of his pocket.

Down in the garage.

I searched the back seat for my files. The car was suffocatingly sweet with that cheap rose scent.

Suddenly, my hand froze. I spotted a piece of red lace fabric stuck between the seat cushions.

It was a pair of sexy red lace panties.

I had never owned anything like that.

I walked back up and handed them to Ethan. As I sat back down at my desk to look over my files, I said quietly, "These must belong to that woman. Remember to give them back."

Ethan stared at the lace in his hand. The next second, he exploded.

"Are you out of your mind, Chloe? Madison just borrowed your car to change her clothes! How can you think of her so disgustingly? Nothing happened!"

"Who do you think you are to insult Madison like that?"

I hadn’t accused him of anything, nor had I raised my voice. But his guilt-ridden conscience made him explode like a firework.

"I just found them. I’m telling you to return them..."

I was sick, exhausted, and completely drained from walking in the rain. I didn't want to fight.

"You’re just jealous because you’ve let yourself go and look like a dowdy housewife, while Madison is gorgeous and young! Even a piece of sexy underwear triggers your insecurity!"

Seeing that I wasn’t taking the bait, Ethan redirected his unvented rage into a personal attack.

"Look at you, always looking so plain and tired. You’re not even thirty, yet you don’t even try to dress up. Is this how a woman is supposed to live? It makes me sick just looking at you."

"Go look in the mirror. You look like a total nerd. Books have rotted your brain."

A wave of dizziness hit me. I clutched my documents tightly.

"You always have to ruin my mood the moment I get home. Whatever. Sleep alone tonight. I’m staying at a hotel."

With that, Ethan slammed the door and left.

Ever since Madison’s theater troupe arrived in New York, Ethan had been obsessed. He practically lived at the playhouse, often not coming home for days.

I remembered back in college, when the academic workload was brutal and I didn’t care about makeup, I always went bare-faced.

Back then, Ethan would hold my hand and say, Chloe, I love how natural and pure you are.

When I got my PhD acceptance letter, he spun me around in the middle of the street.

He told everyone his girlfriend was the smartest, most hardworking woman in the world.

How ironic that the very things he once praised were now the weapons he used to tear me down.

The next day, I finished my work at the university around noon.

I used to wake up early every day to pack him lunch, then drive to his office during my break so we could eat together.

Ethan was a picky eater and hated New York's greasy takeout, so I had learned to cook his favorite home-style comfort meals. He used to praise my cooking, and seeing him happy made me happy.

By the time I snapped out of my thoughts, my car was already parked outside his office building.

I had acted out of sheer habit.

Just like how I had habitually believed his promise that he would love me forever.

I smiled bitterly at my own foolishness.

I walked into a diner nearby, ordered some mild food, and made sure to tell them no seafood.

But when I reached his office, his assistant, Mia, told me Ethan hadn't come in today. In fact, he had been skipping work a lot lately.

I called his phone, but it went straight to voicemail.

A passing colleague overheard us and chimed in, "Ethan's been obsessed with that theater lately. Why don't you check there, Chloe?"

"I saw him shopping with one of the actresses the other day. Honestly, is he in love with theater, or is he in love with the actress?"

Mia quickly nudged him to shut up.

Silence fell over the hallway.

My head throbbed, and my ears rang. I couldn't tell if it was from the fever or the betrayal.

I forced a smile. "Right. Thanks."