Chapter 1

After an accident, I gain the ability to hear a notification chime whenever the man I love lies to me.

On our eighth anniversary, I hide my positive pregnancy test and ask him playfully, "Tell me. Do you love me?"

Elliot Cahill smiles at me tenderly. "I do. You're the only woman I love."

I hear a chime in my head, and my smile instantly stiffens.

Elliot's phone suddenly lights up. After glancing at the screen, he gives me an apologetic look.

"Josie, I really want to stay and celebrate our anniversary with you, but something urgent just came up at work."

I hear another chime.

I hurry after him, the pregnancy test digging painfully into my palm.

"Elliot, will you ever lie to me?"

He pauses before chuckling and patting my head. "Don't be ridiculous. Of course, I won't. I'm coming back as soon as I'm done."

Yet another chime sounds.

The door closes behind him. With a trembling hand, I caress my stomach.

"Your father is lying to us. We don't need him anymore, right?"

Chapter 1

Midnight had come and gone, taking our anniversary with it, but Elliot Cahill still wasn't home.

Just then, a message from the private investigator lit up my phone.

"Mrs. Cahill, Mr. Cahill has known this woman for a year. He's been extremely careful about keeping her out of sight, so I only managed to get a couple of pictures."

The images slowly loaded on my screen, and I immediately recognized the woman in them.

She owned my favorite bakery, and Elliot had been celebrating her birthday.

There was cake frosting smeared across his face. Knowing that dairy triggered his allergy, I instinctively reached toward the screen to wipe it away.

Before my fingers could touch the glass, however, my tears landed on it.

…

Elliot returned the following morning with a box of my favorite croissants in his hand.

When he saw me sitting on the couch, concern immediately crossed his face. "Why are you up so early? Did you have trouble sleeping?"

He had changed his clothes, but the angry red rash along his cheek was impossible to miss.

Lowering my eyes, I replied, "No. I went to bed early last night."

Elliot breathed a sigh of relief, then sat beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, surrounding me with the unfamiliar scent of someone else's body wash.

"Josie, I missed you so much. We closed a major deal yesterday, and everyone got carried away celebrating. They started throwing cake around, and some of it got on my face," he explained. "At least there was some good news. There wasn't a line at your favorite bakery this morning."

In the past, I would've been touched and fretted over the rash on his face.

Now, another notification chimed in my ears like the beginning of a nightmare.

It was all a lie.

No wonder Elliot had been working late more often and coming home later each night. Still, no matter how late he returned, he always brought me croissants from my favorite bakery.

I used to feel guilty that he went so far out of his way for me, but only now did I realize he had never made a special trip.

The bakery was exactly where he wanted to be.

"I'll get your allergy medicine."

I rose abruptly, desperate to escape the chime before it became unbearable, but Elliot caught my hand.

"I know you're worried about me, but it's nothing serious."

My gaze dropped to the hand holding mine.

"Where's your wedding ring?" I asked.

Elliot paused before flashing me a smile. "I dropped it off to be cleaned. You know I wouldn't stop wearing it after you reminded me how important it was."

Another notification sounded, snuffing out the final sliver of hope I had been clinging to.

"Really?"

I stared directly into his eyes. "Which jeweler did you take it to? I think I'll have mine cleaned, too."

His smile didn't falter, though he hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "It's a long drive. There's no reason for you to go through all that trouble. I'll take yours next time."

A slow, relentless ache spread through my chest.

Elliot had always been thoughtful enough to anticipate what I needed and careful enough to account for every detail. Apparently, those same qualities had allowed him to hide another woman from me for an entire year.

He took my diamond ring and put it away for safekeeping, then tied an apron around his waist and headed into the kitchen.

"How about I make you that mushroom soup again today?" he offered.

I looked up, my voice hoarse. "Again? You've never made mushroom soup here before."

His back stiffened for a second, but by the time he reached for a stockpot, he had already recovered.

"You misheard me. I said I'd make mushroom soup for you today. It's a new recipe I learned. It's supposed to be good for you."

Steam rose from the pot and filled the kitchen, making my eyes sting.

As another notification chimed, I remembered the early days of my pregnancy, when I had spent hours paging through cookbooks and studying every recipe recommended for expectant mothers.

The very first one had been mushroom soup.

Then, a taunting message appeared on my screen.

"Did you enjoy the croissants, Ms. Cox?"

Chapter 2

At breakfast, Elliot placed the croissants closest to me.

The buttery scent I had once loved drifted across the table, but now it made my stomach churn. I barely managed to turn away before I started dry-heaving.

"What's wrong, Josie? Are they making you sick?"

Elliot immediately reached over to steady me, his voice filled with concern.

He had always taken care of me like this.

After my parents died and grief nearly drove me to take my own life, Elliot was the one who pulled me back and gave me a home. Once we were married, he loved me with every fiber of his being.

Whenever we had fish, he removed every bone before placing it on my plate. My food was always served at exactly the right temperature, and whatever I liked most would be set within easy reach.

He had once treated me with such care, and we were finally expecting the child we had both wanted for so long.

I closed my eyes and tightened my grip on his hand.

"Elliot, I'm tired of those croissants. The bakery is far away, and stopping there takes you out of your way. Could you come home earlier and spend that time with me instead?" I asked.

Elliot chuckled softly and pulled me into his arms.

"Of course. If those croissants are making you sick, I won't buy them anymore. I'll cut back on working late, too. From now on, I'll come home earlier and spend more time with you."

The instant another notification sounded, I felt my blood run cold.

His promises should've comforted me. Instead, each tender word made the truth beneath it hurt even more.

For a moment, I wanted to scream at him and confront him.

But what difference would it make?

His phone chimed again. Elliot glanced at the message, immediately released me, and hurried out without offering so much as another empty reassurance.

The front door closed behind him, and I let out a bitter laugh.

It was time to let him go.

…

The hospital's harsh fluorescent lights reflected off my swollen, bloodshot eyes.

Before administering the anesthetic, the doctor asked me one final time, "Ms. Cox, the pregnancy is progressing just fine. Are you sure you want to terminate it?"

"Yes."

I nodded calmly, though tears still spilled from the corners of my eyes.

It was enough for me to live with this pain.

My baby deserved a better life, one with two parents who genuinely loved each other.

When I left the procedure room, my body felt strangely empty. The physical pain wasn't all that severe, but it seemed as though a piece of my heart was missing.

I wandered through the hallway in a daze until two familiar figures appeared ahead of me.

Elliot had one hand around Rachel Ross' arm, supporting her with care.

"Easy. Thank God the baby's alright," he chided. "I told you to stop working at the bakery. I can take care of you."

Rachel placed her hand over his.

"Elliot, you've already given me so much. I'm not with you for your money. I fell in love with you the first time you walked into my bakery."

Something shifted in Elliot's eyes.

In the next second, he looked up and met my gaze, the color instantly draining from his face.

"Josie? What are you doing here?" he blurted.

I lowered my eyes to their intertwined fingers and spotted the matching bands. They were the wedding rings Elliot and I had exchanged.

Slowly, I raised my own hand and compared the ring on my finger to the identical one Rachel wore.

A bitter smile touched my lips.

"Congratulations," I said.

Panic flashed across Elliot's face as he hurried after me. "Josie, let me explain."

Rachel looked at me as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Ms. Cox, the doctor said that if I lose this baby, I may never be able to have another child. I know I'm asking for too much, but I promise I won't come between you and Elliot."

After saying that, she gave Elliot a long, meaningful look before stumbling away.

Elliot's hand tightened around mine. Even so, he forced himself not to turn around and follow after her.

I watched the distracted expression on his face and laughed bitterly.

Elliot had always noticed the smallest things about me, yet he never asked why I was at the hospital.

He didn't see how pale I was or how badly my body was shaking, and it certainly didn't matter to him that I could barely stay on my feet.

His heart was with someone else who mattered more.

Chapter 3

"Elliot, if you ever betray Josie again, I swear I'll beat you to a pulp!"

Fiona Jones' expression was grim as she tore into her son.

I sat numbly on the couch, listening as Elliot apologized over and over.

"Josie, I was drunk that night. That's how Rachel got pregnant. Her health isn't good, and I couldn't bring myself to turn my back on her," he explained.

Fiona took my hand, her voice softening.

"Josie, you and Elliot have known each other since you were children. After your parents passed away, I raised you like my own daughter. Please give him one more chance. I'm begging you."

The guilt in her eyes only made me feel more miserable.

After my parents died, Elliot brought me home. During the darkest period of my life, the Cahills gave me the warmth and security of a family.

But I never imagined that everything they had done for me would one day become the reason I felt obligated to stay.

"Alright."

My voice came out hoarse and dry. Inside, I felt nothing but emptiness.

Elliot's eyes immediately lit up. He rushed forward and pulled me into his arms, his tears soaking the side of my neck.

"Thank you, Josie. Thank you so much. I swear I'll end things with Rachel."

The moment another notification chimed, I felt a strange sense of calm.

Maybe once someone had been hurt enough, there really was nothing left to feel.

…

Elliot soon returned to the attentive husband he used to be. He left work early every day and made a point of spending more time with me.

He even planted roses in the flower bed below our balcony, explaining that once it bloomed, I would be able to smell it whenever I stepped outside.

I lowered my eyes. "I'm allergic to roses."

He froze. Guilt flashed across his face as he immediately set the plant aside. "I'm sorry. I'll have someone come replace them."

"Don't bother."

I turned and walked back into the house.

This place wouldn't belong to me much longer anyway.

Elliot followed me inside, clearly intending to explain himself, but his phone started ringing before he could speak.

He declined the call, only for it to come through again. This happened several times, and with every attempt, his expression grew more strained.

I walked over, took the phone from him, and answered it myself.

"Elliot! Help me! They're destroying my bakery! Get your hands off me!"

Elliot's expression shifted in alarm. He looked at me, his eyes red. "Josie, this is the last time. Rachel's pregnant and all alone. If something happens to her or the baby—"

"Go," I said, my tone flat.

He didn't stop to think. Instead, he turned and rushed out of the house.

A bitter smile pulled at my lips.

Concern had stripped him of all common sense. Elliot was normally so careful, yet calling the police never even crossed his mind.

He simply ran to Rachel like a reckless teenager desperate to reach the woman he loved.

Once, he had done the same for me. But what I never expected was for Elliot to bring Rachel home with him.

He had once promised that this house would always belong to the two of us, but now, he was leading her inside with one hand around her arm, his movements gentle.

The moment he saw me, disappointment filled his eyes.

"Jocelyn, I never thought you'd stoop this low. You went after a pregnant woman and her unborn child. You had her bakery trashed. How are they supposed to survive now?"

My lips had gone pale, but I forced myself to answer, "I didn't do it."

We had known each other for 20 years, and no one understood me better than Elliot. But now that his heart belonged to someone else, even that no longer mattered.

Rachel clutched his arm, her voice breaking with emotion. "Elliot, this is all my fault."

When neither of us backed down, she suddenly dropped to her knees in front of me.

"Ms. Cox, I know you hired someone to investigate me, and I understand that you only wanted to scare me today. But please, just leave us alone. I'll take the baby and go somewhere far away. You'll never have to see us again."

Watching her play the helpless victim finally pushed me past the limits of my restraint.

"Ms. Ross, you do know how to call 911, don't you? You slept with another woman's husband, yet you're standing here, pretending you're the victim. You're really—"

Before I could finish, Elliot slapped me across the face. My head snapped to the side, and the impact left my ears ringing.

Triumph flashed in Rachel's eyes, but when she spoke, she sounded tearful.

"I only called Elliot because I was terrified something would happen to the baby. I'm sorry…"

Elliot pressed his lips into a thin line. "Josie, you've never been a mother. How could you possibly understand how Rachel feels about her child?"

Those words struck the wound in my heart and tore it wide open.

I raised my head, the despair in my eyes making him falter.

"You don't believe me, do you?" I asked.

"No.

"You can blame me, but the baby is innocent."

The room fell silent, feeling much like the final word in our marriage.

Chapter 4

Elliot eventually sent Rachel away.

He had discovered that I truly had nothing to do with what happened at the bakery. A few local troublemakers had gotten sick after eating there and trashed the place in retaliation.

He looked at me guiltily.

"I'm sorry, Josie. I let my temper get the better of me."

I stared at him as though he were a stranger who had nothing to do with me.

Two decades together had meant less to him than Rachel's tears.

"Josie, things are complicated right now. Can you give me a little more time?"

Elliot held tightly to my hand. No matter how hard I tried to pull away, he refused to release me.

I lowered my eyes and gave a bitter smile.

No one played the devoted husband better than Elliot. He knew exactly what to say to make me believe he loved me, even as every choice he made proved otherwise.

Looking down, I asked, "Elliot, are you going to keep lying to me?"

He shook his head urgently. "No. Never again. I promise."

A notification chimed, but my heart remained completely still.

Even then, he was lying.

What Elliot called love had become meaningless, yet I had let it keep me trapped for so long and cost me more than I could ever recover.

That night, the private investigator continued sending me photographs.

Elliot and Rachel had gone to the beach together, where they walked along the shore and collected seashells.

They were recreating all the memories Elliot and I had once shared, only they looked happier than we ever had.

I typed a brief reply. "That's enough."

I had already seen enough. There was more than enough evidence for me to file for divorce, and more than enough for me to finally stop denying the truth.

While packing my belongings, I found a tiny pair of socks I had secretly knitted when I first learned I was pregnant.

At the time, I had been filled with so much happiness.

I used to imagine Elliot discovering them by accident one day, then pictured the surprise and joy that would appear on his face.

But nothing had gone the way I hoped.

Just then, the bedroom door suddenly flew open with a crash.

Several of Elliot's bodyguards rushed inside, grabbed me, and forcibly dragged me to the hospital. Sometime during the ordeal, the socks slipped from my hand and fell to the floor.

Elliot stood outside an operating room, his expression frantic.

"Josie, Rachel's baby has a congenital liver condition. The transplant registry says you're the only perfect match."

My voice was hoarse. "So what? Are you asking me to donate part of my liver to your bastard? Are you asking me to risk my life for him?"

Elliot tightened his grip on my hand.

"They only need a small section of your liver. There may be some lasting complications, but that's all. The baby is innocent. I'm begging you not to be so cruel."

Cruel?

That one accusation felt like a knife to the heart, and I laughed at how ridiculous this all seemed.

Rachel's child was innocent. But what about mine?

My baby should've been born into a complete family with two parents who loved each other. Instead, that life was gone before it ever had the chance to begin.

Keeping the baby had felt impossible, and letting them go had broken me, yet what had my child done to deserve any of it?

I bit down hard on my lip, so much so that it drew blood.

"No."

"Jocelyn Cox!" Elliot shouted my name as though he had finally reached a decision. "I was the one who saved your life back then. Can't you save his now?"

Something inside me snapped.

"What did you just say?" I asked.

Elliot closed his eyes. "This is the last time I'll ask this of you."

The last time.

He had said those words more times than I could count.

Every notification that marked another lie seemed to plague me like a nightmare.

A bitter smile crossed my face.

"Fine, but you'll have to promise me something after the surgery."

Elliot froze before relief and excitement flooded his expression. "Whatever you wish for, consider it done."

This time, no notification sounded, but it didn't matter anymore.

Elliot still hadn't released my hand when the nurses began wheeling me into the operating room.

"Josie, please believe me. I'll explain everything," he said.

I looked at him calmly. "Alright. Just don't forget what you promised me."

It was the first lie I had ever told him, and it would also be the last.

After the surgery, I would divorce Elliot and make sure I never saw him again.

He remained where he was, visibly relieved. Then, without warning, a notification chime rang inside his head.

Ding!

Chapter 5

Rachel's baby survived. The liver-cell transplant was successful, which meant that her pregnancy could continue normally.

Elliot should've been relieved, but the notification chime that had sounded inside his head left him strangely unsettled.

What was that sound anyway?

"Elliot."

Rachel looked at him with reddened eyes. "Thank you for staying with me through all of this."

His expression softened. "You said the baby needed his father around during the pregnancy. I'm only doing what I should. Get some rest. I'm going to check on Josie."

Rachel tried to convince him to stay, but he ignored her and walked out of the room. As he entered the hallway, he ran into the surgeon who had operated on me.

"Mr. Cahill, Ms. Cox terminated a pregnancy two weeks ago. That wasn't disclosed before today's surgery. Undergoing another major procedure so soon afterward puts her at an extremely high risk of complications."

The surgeon's remarks left Elliot reeling.

"She was pregnant? When did she—"

He couldn't finish the question.

Two weeks earlier was the morning Rachel called him, and he left me behind to rush to her side.

I had been dry-heaving at breakfast, but he never stopped to wonder why. He simply assumed I had an upset stomach and thought nothing more of it.

Later that same day, I discovered his affair with Rachel and learned that she was carrying his child.

Elliot had been terrified then. He was afraid of losing me, but he was also desperate to keep another secret buried.

He didn't think much of it. Instead of noticing how deathly pale I looked, he focused entirely on covering his tracks and convincing me not to leave.

Only now did he realize that he had lost our baby.

A crushing wave of regret and sorrow crashed over him.

There had been a baby.

His fingers tightened around my medical chart until his knuckles turned white.

"Mr. Cahill?" the doctor asked cautiously. "Are you alright?"

Elliot couldn't answer.

He had assumed we would never be able to have children.

During his last physical exam, he learned that he had a severely low sperm count. That was why he had been so thrilled when Rachel told him that she was pregnant.

He planned to keep her baby and gradually ease me into the idea until I agreed to accept the child.

Instead, his attempt to control everything had cost him the baby he created with the woman he truly loved.

He couldn't stop wondering what I had felt back then.

Had the procedure hurt? Had I cried?

I had always loved children. What must I have felt when I decided to end my own pregnancy?

Worst of all, Elliot had stood in front of me afterward and accused me of not understanding Rachel because I had never been a mother.

By the time the truth finally caught up with him, his regret was useless.

He turned and ran toward my room, only to find it empty.

The nurse took one look at his bloodshot eyes and stepped back in fright. "Ms. Cox has already been transferred to another hospital. Her family came to pick her up."

Family? But I didn't have any family left.

Elliot pulled out his phone and called me repeatedly, only to realize that my phone had been turned off. When he tried to text me, everything came back undelivered because I had blocked him.

He called every friend and coworker of mine he could find, but no one knew where I had gone.

I had left.

More importantly, I no longer trusted him.