Chapter 1

One week before our wedding, my fiancé demanded an early rehearsal.

During the walk-through, he claimed looking at me made him too nervous, so he asked my best friend to step in for me.

I believed him. We swapped spots—she played the bride, and I became the bridesmaid.

Then I watched my supposedly nervous fiancé gaze at my best friend with pure, unfiltered adoration.

I told myself I was overthinking.

Until the rehearsal ended, and my best friend asked me to hold her purse while she ran to the restroom.

While holding it, a folded piece of paper slipped out.

It was a positive pregnancy report.

There was only one week left until the wedding, but my fiancé, Ethan, suddenly insisted on doing a full dress rehearsal ahead of schedule.

I thought it was unnecessary, but he was adamant, claiming he couldn't afford any mistakes on the big day.

At the venue, the officiant had barely called places before Ethan grabbed my hand.

"Vivian, I'm terrified. Every time I look into your eyes, my mind goes completely blank and I forget my vows."

His cheeks flushed, and he quickly looked away.

I was about to reassure him when he turned toward my college best friend and maid of honor, Chloe.

"Chloe, why don't you stand in for Vivian and walk the steps with me first? Just to help me get used to the motions."

Chloe paused, glancing over at me.

It felt odd, but I nodded anyway.

"Go ahead. Help him walk through it so he can shake off his nerves."

Chloe smiled, gathered her skirt, and stepped onto the platform.

The officiant began reciting the script. Ethan stood on stage, extending his hand toward his stand-in bride right on cue.

Standing below, I stared at the man who had just claimed to be too paralyzed by anxiety to speak.

Right now, the look in his eyes as he stared down at Chloe was dripping with tenderness.

Even the slight curve of his lips carried an undisguised, possessive fondness.

My heart dropped a beat. A cold, creeping sensation crawled up my spine.

Was I paranoid?

After all, one was the man I was about to marry, and the other was my closest friend.

"The groom may kiss the bride's hand," the officiant announced.

Ethan didn't hesitate for a single second.

He cradled Chloe's hand, pressing his lips against her skin for so long that the officiant cleared his throat in awkward silence.

I gripped my clutch tight, my fingernails digging hard into my palm.

When the rehearsal finally wrapped up, Chloe walked down the steps, a faint, secret blush lingering on her cheeks.

"Vivian, I'm running to the restroom real quick. Can you hold my bag?"

Chloe handed me her purse and hurried down the corridor.

Holding her bag, I sat on the lounge sofa, waiting.

The strap was slippery. As I shifted it, the magnetic clasp popped open.

A folded slip of paper fluttered out from the side pocket and landed right at my feet.

I bent down to pick it up. As my eyes scanned the bold letters, my whole body froze.

It was a clinic lab report.

Printed clearly at the top: *Chloe Bennett. Female. Gestational Age: 8+ Weeks.*

Eight weeks pregnant?

My mind went completely blank, the blood draining from my face.

Trembling, I pulled out my phone and checked my calendar.

Eight weeks ago, Ethan had been away on a business trip. Chloe had claimed she was visiting family back in her hometown.

I clutched that piece of paper so hard the veins on the back of my hand bulged.

"Vivian, ready to go?"

A familiar voice came from behind, making me jump.

Ethan and Chloe were walking back side-by-side from the restroom hallway.

They were laughing, and Ethan's arm was resting naturally over Chloe's shoulder.

The second they caught me turning around, they jerked apart like they'd touched live wire.

I took a deep, silent breath, shoved the lab report back into her bag, and zipped it shut.

Ethan stepped forward, draping his arm around my shoulders.

"Let's go home. You must be exhausted, Vivian."

The moment his skin brushed against mine, I felt like a venomous snake had coiled around my neck. Every muscle in my body locked up.

Fighting the suffocating suspicion rising in my throat, I forced a tight smile.

"Yeah. Let's go home."

On the way out, they walked ahead of me, their shoulders brushing with every step.

Trailing behind them, watching their silhouettes, my heart went completely cold.

One was my fiancé. The other was my best friend.

Deep down, I desperately wanted to believe they wouldn't betray me like this.

Maybe the baby wasn't Ethan's.

Yet once the seed of doubt is planted, it never stops growing.