Chapter 1 After finalizing the design plan with her client , Aveline Sutton stood up at her desk , flexed her stiff neck , and reached for her phone . There was still no message from Xavier Beltran , her husband . She knew he was on a business trip , but a " Happy Birthday " text would've only taken a few seconds . A pang of frustration washed over her . She dropped the phone back onto the desk , unsure whether to go out for a solo dinner or simply order takeout . Today was her twenty - third birthday . Settling for takeout felt a little pathetic . Suddenly , her phone chimed . Her eyes lit up with surprise and hope , and she hurriedly snatched it up . It was a message from her friend , Fiona Harmon . Aveline let out a soft , self - mocking laugh and tapped to open it . " Are you celebrating your birthday at the Beltran Hotel ? " Puzzled , Aveline replied , " No. I'm at home . " A moment later , Fiona sent her a photo . " Then why is Xavier with Josephine ? " Aveline's heart clenched . With trembling fingers , she zoomed in on the photo . It had been taken in the grand lobby of the Beltran Hotel . There , in front of the elevator , stood Xavier side - by - side with Josephine Sutton - Aveline's half - sister . Xavier was tall and handsome , Josephine stunning and graceful . Together , they caught everyone's eyes . Another message from Fiona buzzed through . " I thought you said you were spending your birthday with Xavier . " Instead of replying to Fiona , Aveline called Xavier . He rejected her call after two rings . A cold wave of despair washed over Aveline , but she refused to believe it . She sent him a text , 0.00 % 08:27 "Where are you ? " She clutched the phone , her heart pounding . After what felt like an eternity , he finally texted her back , " On my business trip . " " Where ? With whom ? " she fired back instantly . His reply came quickly this time . " Stop being so paranoid . " His words were a knife , twisting deep in her heart . " Are you with Josephine ? " One minute passed . Then two . Then ten . But her phone screen remained dark . Aveline slid to the floor , a bitter laugh escaping her lips . Today was Josephine's birthday , too . So , Xavier had lied about a business trip to celebrate with her . He even blamed Aveline for suspecting him , calling her paranoid . Twenty minutes later , a blue Porsche screeched to an unsteady halt in front of the Beltran Hotel's entrance . Aveline got out and charged in . " Ms. Sutton , you can't park the car here ! " Ignoring the valet's urgent call , Aveline dashed into an elevator whose doors were beginning to close just in time and pressed the button for the 18th floor . Lauren Beltran , Xavier's mother , had always longed for a son . Xavier was her blessing after two daughters , and the moment he was born , she consulted a fortune teller , who declared that Xavier's lucky numbers were one and eight . From then on , whenever Xavier stayed in a hotel , it was always in Room 8 on the eighteenth floor . And Room 1808 at the Beltran Hotel , the presidential suite , was permanently reserved for him . As the elevator ascended , Aveline stood rigid , her lips pressed into a thin line . Her face was pale as she stared at the numbers flashing overhead . Soon , the elevator settled on the eighteenth floor . The moment the doors opened , she strode out into the corridor . Standing outside Room 1808 , she trembled slightly . She clenched her fists to steady herself before finally pressing the doorbell . In the very next second , a familiar woman's voice floated through the door . " Darling , could you get that ? It's probably room service . " 17.78 % 08:27 Aveline bit her lip , recognizing the voice . It was Josephine , her half - sister , the daughter of the homewrecker whose actions drove Aveline's mother to her death out of anguish . Aveline could have recognized Josephine's voice out of a million . The door opened , and there stood Xavier in a white bathrobe . His hair was damp and fluffy , exuding a pleasant shampoo smell , obviously just washed . Aveline had always loved the scent after he came out of a shower . But now , it sent a deep pain through her heart . Xavier was momentarily stunned when he saw Aveline . Then he frowned , the disgust on his handsome face undisguised . He stepped out , closed the door behind him , and looked at her coldly . " You're over the line , Aveline . How dare you follow me ? " Seeing his betrayal with her own eyes , Aveline lost her last trace of hope . How considerate of Xavier - he had even closed the door behind him , worried that she might lose control and charge inside to beat Josephine up . Aveline had fallen for Xavier when she was just a teenage girl . Although he remained cold and distant toward her , she pursued him with relentless devotion . She once saved Xavier's life , and ever since , his grandfather , Rupert Beltran , has viewed her as Xavier's lucky star and insisted that Xavier marry her . Xavier never said no , which she interpreted as him being fine with the arrangement . Later , Josephine and her mother , Courtney Kane , joined the Sutton family . And Xavier had acted intimately with Josephine since then . But yesterday , he still showed up at the City Hall and registered his marriage with Aveline . Aveline had convinced herself that he was merely toying with Josephine's affections and had finally been moved by her own unwavering love . She thought he had chosen to build a life with her . But now , she saw the truth . She had been lying to herself all along . She was nothing but a joke . However , she still couldn't help but ask , " Who's in there ? " Xavier responded with silence , his gaze seeming to say , " You know the answer . " She let out a desperate , sarcastic laugh . 39.50 % 08:27 A flicker of sexprime commed Zavers face . Then he frowned , probably annoyed by her laugh " Go home and wad for me there , " he said . With that , he saved his hard , trying to pat her shoulder Zant would tew dron Aveline's pride , then caually say a few meaningless words , and she'd forge him . The rentine was sickeningly familiar to Aveline He acted however he pleated , confident that Aveline would never leave him The old her would have swallowed her pride and her tears , wrapping her arms around him and pleading with him to stop being so cold . She'd even hed that she believed him so that he'd come home with her However , he had never been touched or felt sorry for her . Instead , he'd always push her away and sold her for being treasonable But this fate , the curled her lips into a cold laugh , showed him away hard , and turned to leave Pefand her , Josephine opened the door and asked , " Darling ? What are you doing outside ? I thought it was room service " " Somerne get the wrong room , Xavier replied " Tet's go inside . " The door was donet Aveline stood in front of the clerain , her heartache almost killing her . The elevator doors opened , then dort On her way home , her phone rang , the glanced down at it through her tears . It was a call from She let it ring out , and when it fell silent , a text followed . The 6sdt check it until she was finally home . " Are you OK ? Fiona had asked . The wount OK .. She was far from it . Five years of loving Xavier so completely had brought her The marriage licence on the rightand seemed to glare up at her , as did the photo beside it . Anime picked up the frame in it , the wat smiling a sweet , hopeful smile , her upper body leaning Zever - The very picture of a woman yearning to be close to the man she loved You Zanet's face was cold and stern , his expressers a stark , silent rejection The gradivally drifted off to sleep When the opened her eyes , she was lying on the floor , the 08.27 photo clutched in her arms . Sunlight streamed through the window and flooded the room . It was the next day , and Xavier still hadn't returned . The previous night , he had bundled her off home with a single , terse sentence - probably because he didn't want her to make a scene at the hotel and spoil his perfect , memorable night with Josephine . In a trance , Aveline picked up her phone . There were no missed calls , no new messages . Clutching at one last shred of hope , she called Parkview Estates , the home she was supposed to share with Xavier . The maid , Helena Lavoie , answered . " I'm sorry , Mrs. Beltran , " she said . " Mr. Beltran didn't come home last night . To be honest , I've barely seen him this past month . " Aveline wasn't surprised . She hung up . She had personally selected the villa at Parkview Estates , overseeing every detail of its design and decoration . It was completed a month ago . She had to beg Xavier before he would even come back to take a brief look . He hadn't been back to their home - or to her . So , he was still with Josephine . The deepest hurt eventually numbed the soul . A heart could only break so many times before it couldn't be mended . Aveline's was shattered beyond repair . She called Fiona , who answered almost immediately , and said , " Fiona , I want a divorce . Please draft a divorce agreement for me . " 85.01 %