Chapter 3

David loved me. Everyone knew it. No one ever doubted his love for me, and I never did, either. But love is fleeting, elusive, unpredictable, ever-changing. What's the point of talking about forever?

That day, David didn't come home.

For several days in a row, he stayed away. He sent me a message on TalkUs, telling me he was very busy and had to go abroad for work. Once he finished, he promised we'd take a long vacation together. I stared at his message, then switched to another app. I saw photos and videos of David traveling across Europe with Edith.

When my best friend saw the videos, she exploded, fuming with anger.

"Men are all the same, once they get what they want, they forget about you. He chased you relentlessly back then, but now that he's found someone new, he's completely forgotten about you!"

She glanced at me, her concern palpable.

"So, what are you going to do, Rose?"

What was I going to do? Honestly, when I first found out I'd been betrayed, I was hit with a whirlwind of emotions. I questioned myself, wondered if I wasn't good enough, if that's why someone else caught his attention. But I couldn't pinpoint where things had gone wrong between David and me. The only thing I could think of was the child.

David wanted a child. So why not let him have it?

I looked at the photos again, David smiling happily as he shopped for baby supplies with Edith in a maternity store. He looked every bit the excited father-to-be. A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

"My senior colleague invited me to collaborate on a project," I said calmly, as though it was nothing. "I hesitated at first, but I just gave her my answer, I'm in."

My colleague was two years older than me. She was a staunch anti-marriage advocate, a career-driven woman promoting female independence. She had even organized a national exhibition on the topic. I had been torn for a while, but now, there was nothing left to think about.

When my best friend heard me, her expression softened, relief washing over her.

"Rose, I'm so glad you've thought it through. We women should never let a man make us cry. It's just not worth it."

She added, "And when your exhibition starts, you know I'll be there, cheering you on at every event!"

Just as I finished my afternoon tea and was waiting for the driver, a Porsche came speeding toward me. I instinctively stepped back, and before I knew it, I was sitting on the ground. The car screeched to a halt, and out stepped a glamorous woman.

If I hadn't seen her up close, I wouldn't have recognized her.

It was Edith Turner. She took off her sunglasses, looked at me, and smirked.

"Did you grow your eyes on your forehead?" she taunted.

"Are you blind? Didn't you see me walking?" I snapped back.

Edith clicked her tongue in annoyance, then pulled out a few hundred-dollar bills from her expensive bag, tossing them on the ground.

"Here, consider it a tip. Enough to see a doctor, maybe."

She was no longer content being the hidden mistress. Now, she wanted to flaunt it, staring at me with a challenging look in her eyes.

I stood up, just as the driver arrived, his anger boiling over. He shouted at Edith, "Do you know who our madam is? If anything happens to her, our boss won't let you get away with it!"

Edith scoffed. "Oh, really? And who exactly is your madam?" She gave me a long, disdainful look. "An old, washed-up woman? Your face is sagging and aging. If I were your husband, I'd be disgusted just looking at you!"

The driver turned bright red, ready to argue, but I gently stopped him. My expression remained calm, almost serene.

"Miss, I don't agree to a private settlement," I said, keeping my voice steady.

I wasn't angry, as she had expected. Instead, I calmly added, "I'm calling the police."

Edith was just trying to intimidate me. She never meant for things to escalate, especially not with David finding out. She knew well enough who would lose in that scenario.

When she saw I was serious, Edith snapped.

"I didn't even hit you! Why the hell are you calling the police?"

She pointed at me, shouting, "I bet you're just trying to scam people! Acting all high and mighty, but you're just another gold-digger! Let's be honest, are you with your husband just for the money?"

I watched her lose control with barely a reaction. Calmly, I asked, "You can't stop talking about my husband. Do you happen to know him?"

Edith was momentarily silenced. Before she could respond, I immediately called David on video.