Chapter 1
My husband slapped me in front of his entire company after I threw wine on his secretary. What nobody knew was why I had finally stopped pretending not to see what was happening between them.
The party was being held at a hotel ballroom in Chicago.
I had spent the entire evening watching my husband, Daniel, barely look at me.
But every time his secretary, Vanessa, walked past, his eyes followed her.
I told myself not to make a scene.
Then Vanessa leaned over his chair and whispered something in his ear.
Daniel smiled.
The same smile he used to give me.
I stood there holding my wineglass while something inside me cracked.
Vanessa looked at me and smirked.
“Is everything okay, Emily?”
I knew that tone.
I stepped closer.
“Ask my husband.”
Daniel immediately stood up.
“Don’t do this here.”
Vanessa laughed softly.
That was when I threw the wine.
It splashed across the front of her white dress.
The entire table went silent.
Vanessa screamed.
Daniel turned toward me.
And slapped me across the face.
So hard my glass fell from my hand.
People around us gasped.
I touched my cheek and stared at him.
“You hit me for her?”
Daniel’s face went pale.
“She’s my employee, and you just humiliated her.”
Vanessa grabbed his arm.
“Daniel, don’t bother explaining yourself to her.”
I looked down at Vanessa’s hand on my husband’s sleeve.
Then I noticed the bracelet on her wrist.
My bracelet.
The diamond bracelet Daniel told me had been lost during our anniversary trip.
I grabbed her wrist.
“Where did you get this?”
Vanessa suddenly stopped smiling.
Daniel stepped between us.
“Emily, let go.”
I looked at him.
“You gave her my bracelet?”
Vanessa pulled her hand away.
Then one of Daniel’s coworkers quietly stood up from the next table.
“Emily,” he said, “that’s not the only thing he gave her.”
Daniel spun around.
“Mark, shut up.”
Mark reached into his jacket and placed a folded hotel receipt on the table.
May you like
My name was printed at the top.
But the room number belonged to Daniel and Vanessa.
