Chapter 3 Emily's POV I stretched with a soft , lazy smile , rolling over in bed as the morning light filtered through the curtains . For a moment , the fears of yesterday were a distant memory . Then my phone buzzed on the nightstand , and I reached for it , mumbling , " Wonder who's up so early … " As I unlocked the screen , an unknown number flashed , followed by a message that made my heart 1/8 Chapter 3 +5 Bonus flashed , followed by a message that made my heart stop : Louis cheated on you . " What ? " I gasped , sitting bolt upright . " No , no, no . I must be dreaming . " My phone slipped from my trembling fingers and clattered to the floor . I stumbled out of bed , my mind all over the place . A whirlwind of emotions coursed through me - disbelief , anger , and a terrible sadness . Was I the only one out in the dark ? Did everyone else seem to know about this except me ? " Breathe , Emily , breathe , " I told myself as I ran a shaky hand through my blonde hair . " It's probably just a prank . Yeah , that's probably it . " But as I said it , I looked in the bedroom mirror and could see the doubt on my face . " I need some air , " I muttered , going to the kitchen . The walls of this opulent house felt like they were closing in , suffocating me with their 2/8 Chapter 3 judgmental silence . +5 Bonus Just as I reached for the back door , I heard the front door open . " Emily ! Yoo hoo ! " My mother - in - law's cheery voice rang out . " Not now , Lucy … " I muttered to myself . Her timing was impeccable , as always , and never in a good way . She came into the kitchen , holding a large thermos . " I know you have been having some … trouble conceiving , which , as I've been saying all along is due to all that wine you drink . " Of course , she had to make me sound like the issue and like an alcoholic too ! Her false smile widened . " So , look what I brought ! It's my special homemade fertility soup . This'll knock you right up practically by itself ! " 2/8 " Oh , um , thanks , " I murmured , watching her Chapter 3 +5 Bonus pour the murky liquid into a bowl . I felt a wave of nausea , not just from the soup but from all that had come to light in the past 24 hours . " But I don't think I can- " Lucy's plastic smile vanished immediately . " Emily , you are always so ungrateful . Do you think I'd go to this trouble for Louis , my own son ? No ! This is for you , and you're throwing it back in my face ! " Her words stung , a reminder of the constant pressure to conform to her expectations , to be the perfect wife , the perfect daughter - in - law . But how could I focus on that when I felt like my world was crumbling around me ? " I'm sorry , I just- " I started , but she cut me off by thrusting the bowl into my hands . As I peered into the soup , my stomach churned and I swallowed back bile . Floating among twigs and leaves were what looked like tiny , dead worms . 3/8 " Oh God , " I choked , my hands shaking . The bowl Chapter 3 slipped and crashed to the floor . Lucy's face contorted with rage . " You +5 Bonus ungrateful brat ! " She screeched . " You're doing this to spite me aren't you ? You think you can mess with my emotions , don't you ? " I took a step back , looking down at the soup and ceramic pieces . It looked even more vile on the floor . " No , I- " " You're so manipulative , I knew my son picked a terrible wife , I knew it from the beginning ! " Despite it all , anger surged through me at the personal attacks . " Lucy , " I said with barely controlled rage . " You're being incredibly rude and- " Lucy laughed in my face . " You're calling me rude ! That's rich ! " She shook her head as if her abuse towards me amused her . Then a scowl returned to her face , and she whipped out her phone . 4/8 Chapter 3 +5 Bonus " I'll show you rude . I'm calling your father , and I'm pulling my funding ! I'll make sure his business is ruined . " Dread ran up my spine . " Lucy , stop ! " I pleaded . " He has nothing to do with this ! " My father's business had a tough year already , they couldn't afford to lose anymore funding . The fact that our lives were so intertwined made this whole situation ten times worse . What would I do if Louis really had … ? Before I could react , her hand flew out , slapping me hard across the face . The sting was sharp and I stumbled . Lucy shouldn't have been able to hit this hard . I shouldn't have felt so ruined by it . But I had almost collapsed under the hit . I breathed hard as I touched my cheek , feeling the heat rise beneath my fingers . Memories from yesterday flooded back - the condom box , the blonde hair , the unfamiliar 5/8 Chapter 3 +5 Bonus perfume . Each recollection felt like another nail in the coffin , so I shook my head , trying to clear my thoughts . Was it all paranoia ? Or had I been ignoring all the signs ? The thought that I might have been blind to the truth was almost as painful as the betrayal . And Lucy . God , Lucy had been a thorn in my side throughout this marriage , even before we got married . She sabotaged my bridesmaid party , starting rumors about my little sister that made her cry . She insisted on coming on our vacation last year and bossed us around the whole time . And two months ago she told the whole family about my supposed infertility issues that I didn't even think I had ! Lucy was a menace of a mother - in - law and tormented me at every turn . When I fully came to realize all of this , something snapped inside me . I grabbed my phone and dialed Louis . 6/8 Chapter 3 +5 Bonus " What do you think you're doing ? " Lucy shrieked in the background , but I ignored her , focused on a singular goal . Finally , Louis answered . " Emily ? What's wrong ? " His voice came through , laced with concern . " You don't usually call during the work day . " " We're done ! " I shouted . " I want a divorce ! " The words tumbled out , fueled by anger and hurt and all the emotions that had risen over - I realized - the past ten years . They were words I had never imagined I'd say , but at that moment , they felt like the only way to reclaim some semblance of control over this situation . " What ? Emily , calm down . What happened ? " Louis asked , his voice rising in panic . But the room was spinning . As darkness closed in , I heard Louis calling my name , his voice fading DUGULAR Laallannad to the floor 7/8 Chapter 4 away as I collapsed to the floor .