Chapter 1 Ian Hamilton's first love , who had left him six years ago , suddenly returned from abroad . She was now accompanied by a five - year - old ' son . Using business trips as an excuse , lan had been avoiding going home for an entire month . It was their third wedding anniversary . Chloe Irvine had prepared a candlelit dinner and bought a gift for Ian . She sent him a text , but by 9 pm , he still hadn't come home . Instead , Chloe received a call from Ian's younger sister , Mia Hamilton . Mia reminded Chloe to check the message she had sent . After hanging up , Chloe opened her chat with Mia . Her smile froze the moment she saw what was on the screen . The plate in Chloe's hand fell and shattered on the floor . A piece of ceramic scraped her ankle , and bright red blood began to ooze from the cut . But Chloe didn't have any reaction . Mia had sent Chloe a screenshot of Ian's Instagram post . It showed that he had booked out the entire Riverfront Promenade and set off birthday fireworks , all for his first love and their son . Chloe bent down to pick up her phone and swiped through the screenshots bouquets of roses . one by one : the beach , the yacht , the fireworks and the And there was her husband , holding a four - or - five - year - old child in one arm . His other hand , still bearing their wedding ring , rested intimately on the waist of another woman . www . It was a set of beautiful , romantic photos captioned , [ A blueberry cake I made with my own hands , for the loves of my life . ] Even through the screen , the overwhelming affection felt almost tangible . Chloe's mind went blank . All thought seemed to shut down . Frantically , she checked Ian's Instagram , only to find it completely empty . She opened her mouth , but no sound came out . It was only then that she realized he had hidden his account from her . The screenshots shattered the last shred of hope she still held for Ian . Refusing to give up , she called him . When he didn't answer , she called again . him with just one word " Busy . " The impatience in that single word was After he hung up for the third time , she received a text friend unmistakable . Helplessness , anger , jealousy , and denial twisted together inside Chloe . It was a storm of emotions she could not control . She curled into herself , hands clutching her head as though her heart were being ripped apart . Waves of suffocation rose in her chest . She into heavy , wrenching sobs . fistfuls of her own hair and screamed out in raw frustration , before finally breaking Mia stared in shock at Chloe's disheveled appearance . Suddenly , there was a knock on the door . She struggled to her feet and opened " Chloe , are you okay ? " Still tear - streaked and pale , Chloe simply shook her head , Mia stamped her foot in anger , " Chloe , let's go to the Riverfront Promenade to find lan right now . " Chloe took a slow breath to steady herself . " Mia , I can handle what's happening with Ian myself ." Her mother had just undergone heart bypass surgery and was still in the hospital . Now was not the time for her to fall apart . By the time Mia left , it was already midnight . Chloe wandered through every corner of the house She and fan grew up together . Everyone knew she had loved him since childhood . But they also a ghost . knew Ian was still haunted by a past love , someone he could never forget . In the end , he married Chloe only to fulfill an arranged family obligation . Throughout their three years of marriage , she had clung to the naive belief that if she tried hard enough , she could eventually win his heart . But instead of his love , she was met with the news of his extravagant reunion with the one he had never forgotten . She had given him everything - her childhood crush , her adult love and all her precious youth . Now , it was time to let go . Her mind knew exactly what she had to do , but her heart ached so deeply that it felt hard to breathe . The conflict was unbearable . That night , lan still did not come home . For the next three days , Chloe stayed at the hospital to care for her mother . Throughout that time , lan never called or sent a single message . When her mother's condition stabilized , her father urged her to go home and get some proper rest . 1/2 Chapter I ***** 55 vouchers Late at night , Chloe was half - asleep when she heard the bedroom door open . Then the sound of running water came from the bathroom . A short while later , she felt the mattress dip beside her . The clean , fresh scent of men's body wash roused her slightly from her drowsiness . Before she could react , she was pulled into Ian's arms . After more than a month , he has finally decided to come home . He must have had such a wonderful time with his little family of three , she thought to herself . Sensing the tension in Chloe's body , Ian knew she was awake . He tightened his arm around her waist , turning her toward him . His lips , hungry and insistent , found the sensitive skin of her neck , while his hand slid beneath the covers and tugged gently at the strap of her nightie . Throughout their three years of marriage , the only time Ian showed her any tenderness or passion was in bed . Every time she saw him lose control with desire , she let herself believe , even if just for a moment , that he loved her too . Instinctively , her hand flew to his , stopping it as it wandered across her skin . For the first time in their marriage , Chloe turned her face away and said , " Don't ." Her voice , still hoarse from earlier tears , sounded to Ian like a sign of arousal , and his kisses grew even more intense . He knew her body far too well . With deliberate skill , he teased the sensitive spots she could hardly resist . Just as Chloe was on the verge of giving in , those beautiful , romantic images flooded her mind : the beach , the yacht , the fireworks , the roses . She saw her husband's hand , still wearing their wedding ring but resting on that woman's waist . And that caption , dripping with a love that wasn't for her , pierced her straight through the heart . A wave of nausea rose suddenly in her stomach . Chloe pushed Ian away and knelt beside the bed , retching violently . The lights turned on , and whatever intimacy had filled the room moments before vanished completely . Ian got out of bed and gently patted Chloe's back . " Are you feeling sick ? " he asked . Chloe pushed his hand away , got up , and walked straight into the bathroom . She wasn't ill . She was just utterly disgusted . Ian frowned slightly as he watched her walk away , then went downstairs to pour a glass of water for her . He didn't notice her red , swollen eyes , her strained voice , or the fresh cut on her ankle . A few minutes later , when lan returned to the bedroom , Chloe had already come out of the bathroom and was getting into bed . He handed her the glass of water . " I'll book a restaurant tomorrow to make up for our anniversary , " he said . There was no explanation , no guilt , just a flat announcement . Chloe ignored the glass he offered , got into bed , said flatly , " No need . " A bitter disappointment washed over her . ' So he remembers it's our anniversary , and yet he chose to book out the beach and set off fireworks with his old lover and their son . ' Ever since they married , she had taken care of his every need , refusing to let him lift a finger at home . Yet he had willingly lowered his pride and even baked a blueberry cake with his own hands for that woman and her son . He had cheated on her and had a five - year - old son with his former lover , and touching her with familiar intimacy , standing before her without a yet he could still act as though nothing was wrong , of shame , and speaking those painfully casual words . For the first time , Chloe realized that the man she had loved for so many years was so hypocritical . An uneasy silence fell between them , thickening the air . Just then , the screen of lan's phone lit up . 2/2