1: Caught Cheating

Inside the busy office hall of Montgomery & Sons, I saw a man struggling to keep his balance. He was carrying several bulging bags of important documents, and his feet were slipping on the marble floor. Just as he was about to topple over, I rushed in from the side, my heels clicking against the ground.

"Edward, wait—!" I called out, desperate to help. I reached out to steady him, but it was no use. Instead of preventing his fall, I stumbled, and we both went crashing to the floor, documents flying everywhere. The loud thud drew everyone's attention.

The office erupted in laughter. Edward, face contorted with rage, scrambled to his feet. "Dammit, Seraphina!" he snapped. "You never should have bothered helping me! Look at this mess…you've made everything worse! These documents are everywhere because of you!"

My face flushed with embarrassment and frustration. I tried to stammer out a defense, but before I could get more than a few words out, a sneering voice cut through the amused crowd.

"What were you thinking, Seraphina?" It was Judith, the office's resident queen bee, her tone dripping with condescension. "Trying to help someone when you’re as fat as a whale? You only made matters worse."

The laughter redoubled, whispers and snide comments rippling through the crowd. I heard the cruel names—"clumsy cow," "useless," "liability"—going around me, each one a sharp sting to my pride.

With a deep breath, I managed to pull myself to my feet. I cursed softly under my breath, anger and hurt bubbling inside me.

I placed a protective hand over my abdomen, aware of the tiny life growing inside me. At three months pregnant, I had risked my baby to help a colleague, only to be met with mockery and scorn.

"Thank you all for your concern," I muttered, my voice low but steady, laced with sarcasm. I bent down to gather the scattered documents, moving deliberately and controlled.

I straightened up, clutching a pile of papers. I fixed Edward with a hard gaze. "Next time, try asking for help instead of assuming you can manage on your own," I said coldly, before turning on my heel and walking away, the crowd parting before me.

Ignoring the snarky remarks and cruel laughter sounding through the office hall, I made my way to my office, head held high. I refused to let my coworkers ruin my mood.

Tonight was special. It was our second wedding anniversary, and I planned to break the news to my husband, Williams, about my pregnancy.

Once inside my office, I grabbed my bag and picked up my phone to call William. He didn’t pick up on the first or second ring. On the third, he finally answered.

“Hello?”

"Hey, Will," I said, a smile spreading across my face upon hearing his voice. "Do you remember what today is?"

He interrupted me, his tone brisk. "Seraphina, I'm swamped today. I've got a business meeting in the morning, and I need to catch an afternoon flight. I won't be around."

My heart sank. "Oh," I managed, trying to keep the disappointment out of my voice. "I understand."

And he didn't make any response to that, he just hung up on me. Something which made a dull ache spread through my chest.

This wasn't the first time he had missed an important date. He had never been around for our anniversary, always consumed by work. William was a billionaire, a powerful man whose job always seemed to come first.

I tried to remind myself that I loved him too much to complain. His success was part of what made me fall for him. But as I sat there, the excitement of our anniversary and the joy of my pregnancy announcement faded.

I couldn’t shake the feeling of loneliness that had crept in, nor the dull ache that came with the realization that once again, I would be celebrating alone.

…

After work that evening, I couldn't bear the thought of spending our anniversary night alone in the mansion, missing Williams too much if I stayed with just the servants. Instead, I decided to visit my best friend, Jessica, unannounced.

I pulled up to Jessica's house, noticing how quiet the neighborhood was at this hour. Her house was dark, save for a small light in the living room. I parked my car and got out, walking up to the door which I found slightly ajar.

"Jessica?" I called softly, stepping into the house. The silence was broken only by the soft rustle of my footsteps. As I moved deeper inside, I stumbled upon a shocking sight: both male and female clothes scattered on the floor, along with shoes. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment as I realized Jessica must be with a lover. From the bedroom, I heard the unmistakable sounds of female moans and male groans, with the bed creaking nonstop.

"Oh, you feel so freaking good!" the man groaned, and his voice sounded way too familiar for his own good.

Feeling deeply awkward, I turned to leave, intending to wait in my car until they were done. As I reached the door, Jessica's voice floated to my ears, moaning, "I feel better than her, yeah?"

The man groaned in response, "So much better."

My heart raced. The man's voice, the words he said…it all seemed too familiar. Against my better judgment, I found myself moving toward the bedroom. The door was already open.

What I saw made my blood run cold.

On the bed, tangled in the sheets, were my husband and best friend.

They were naked, passionately having sex as if their lives depended on it.

I felt like the ground had been pulled out from under me. My heart dropped into my stomach, and I nearly lost my balance. "Williams!" I screamed, the word tearing from my throat like a wounded animal.

Their movements stopped abruptly.

Williams’s face went pale as he turned to look at me, whereas Jessica's eyes were wide with shock.