Chapter 12 Everything changed when Cathy came back . I was in Iris's nursery , feeding her while humming softly , when I heard Enzo's phone ring downstairs . His voice carried up through the baby monitor I'd forgotten to turn off . " Cathy ? My God , where have you been ? " The bottle slipped from my hands , I knew that name - he'd mentioned an ex - girlfriend once , someone who'd " disappeared " from his life years ago . " You're back ? Are you ... yes , of course . Come to the house . I'll send a car . " I carefully placed Iris in her crib and went downstairs . Enzo was pacing by the windows , running his hands through his hair . " Who was that ? " I asked , though I already knew . " An old friend . Someone I thought I'd never see again . " He turned to me , and there was something in his expression I'd never seen before - excitement mixed with anxiety . " Cathy's coming over . I hope you don't mind. " " Of course not , " I lied smoothly . When she arrived an hour later , I understood immediately why Enzo had looked so unsettled . Cathy was stunning - tall , elegant , with the kind of effortless beauty that made other women invisible by comparison . " Enzo , " she breathed , rushing into his arms like she belonged there .. He held her tightly , longer than was appropriate for greeting an old friend in front of his wife . " I can't believe you're here , " he murmured into her hair . I cleared my throat . " You must be Cathy . I'm Lydia , Enzo's wife . " She turned to me with surprise , as if she'd genuinely forgotten anyone else existed . " Wife ? Enzo didn't mention ... well , it's lovely to meet you . " But her eyes were cold , calculating . I recognized the look - Isabella had perfected the same expression . " This is quite a surprise , " Enzo said , finally stepping back but keeping his hands on her shoulders . " What happened ? Where did you go ? " " It's complicated , " Cathy said , tears welling in her eyes . " My husband ... Victor ... he died in a car accident three months ago . I've been dealing with the estate , the funeral , everything alone . " " Victor ? " Enzo's face went white . " You married Victor Chen ? " 5.09 Chapter 12 " You were gone so much with work , " she said defensively . " He was there , he proposed , and I thought ... I thought you didn't want to settle down . " " I was building the company for us ! Everything I did was for our future I watched this emotional reunion with growing inease . The way they looked at each other , the history heavy in the air between them - I'd seen this before . " I have a son , " Cathy continued . " Tyler . He's four now , and he's been asking about his father's friends . Victor talked about you all the time . " " Bring him here ," Enzo said immediately . " You both need family right now . " " Enzo ," I interjected carefully , " maybe we should discuss- " " Of course they're staying with us , " he said firmly . " Victor was my best friend . It's the least I can do . " That night , after Cathy had gone to collect Tyler and their belongings , I tried to talk to Enzo privately . " This is a lot to take in . " I said as he paced the bedroom . " Are you sure having them stay here is the best idea ? " " Lydia , Cathy was ... she was important to me once . And Victor was like a brother . They're family . " "And what about our family ? What about Iris ? " He stopped pacing and looked at me with impatience . " What about her ? There's plenty of room in this house . " " That's not what I meant . " " Then what did you mean ? " I wanted to say that I'd seen how he looked at Cathy , how he'd held her . I wanted to say that I'd been through this before - watching the man I loved choose someone else right in front of me . But I was tired of being the jealous wife , tired of sounding paranoid . " Nothing . " I said finally . " You're right . They need help . " Over the next few weeks , Cathy made herself indispensable . She cooked elaborate meals , organized social events , and somehow managed to be perfectly dressed and made up at all times - even first thing in the morning . Tyler was charming and precocious , quick to win over Enzo with his advanced vocabulary and mature observations . " Uncle Enzo , " he said one evening at dinner , " Mommy says you and she used to be very close . " "We were good friends , " Enzo replied , his eyes finding Cathy's across the table . " She cries sometimes at night . She misses the old days . " 9.2 % Chapter 12 " Tyler . " Cathy said softly , reaching for his hand . " Let's not talk about sad things , " But the damage was done . Enzo's expression lind softened completely , and I could see him falling deeper into whatever spell she was weaving . The breaking point came three weeks later . I'd been up all night with Iris , who was teething and inconsolable . When 1 finally got her to sleep around five AM , I collapsed into bed exhausted . I woke up at noon to find the house eerily quiet . No sounds of Tyler playing , no clatter from the kitchen where Cathy usually prepared her gourmet hunches . I found a note on the kitchen counter in Enzo's handwriting : " Took Cathy and Tyler to the beach for the day . Iris is with the nanny . Rest well . - E He'd taken her and her son on a family outing without even asking if I wanted to come . Without waking me up . Without including his own daughter . When they returned that evening , sunburned and laughing , Tyler ran to show me the seashells they'd collected . " Look what Uncle Enzo bought me ! " He held up an expensive remote - control boat . " We're going sailing next weekend ! " " How wonderful . " I managed . Cathy appeared in the doorway , glowing from the sun and attention . " Lydia , you should have come . Though I suppose someone needed to stay with the baby . " The baby . Not Iris . Not Enzo's daughter . The baby . " Next time , " I said quietly . But there wouldn't be a next time . As the weeks passed , I watched my husband transform back into the man he'd been before he met me - animated , passionate , fully engaged with life Just not with me . He started working late again , but now it was to accommodate Cathy's schedule . She'd enrolled Tyler in expensive activities , and somehow it fell to Enzo to drive him back and forth . "It's temporary , " he assured me when I mentioned how little time we were spending together . " Just until Cathy gets back on her feet . " But Cathy showed no signs of wanting to get back on her feet . She was perfectly content to let Enzo provide for her and her son while treating me like an inconvenient obstacle in her own home . The final straw came on our second wedding anniversary . Enzo had promised to take me to dinner , just the two of us . I'd arranged for a babysitter , bought a new dress , made reservations at our favorite restaurant . At six PM , he called . Chapter 12 " Lydia , I'm so sorry . Tyler had an accident at school - nothing serious , but Cathy's panicking . I need to meet them at the hospital . " " On our anniversary ? " " It's just dinner , we can reschedule . " Just dinner . Our anniversary was just dinner . I hung up and looked at myself in the mirror - dressed up for a date that would never happen , in a marriage that was already over . Just like busy trying love with Alexander . I'd been so to be the perfect wife that I'd failed to notice my husband falling in someone else .