My best friend, Mia Sullivan, had gone abroad for three years. When she finally came back, she was in tears. She said she had been dumped by a scumbag, was pregnant, and had nowhere to go.

I felt terrible for her, so I not only let her move into my house but also asked my husband, Hudson Darby, to take extra care of her.

That was until I found a prenatal checkup receipt in the study. The patient was Mia, and the family member who had signed was Hudson.

I worried I was jumping to conclusions, so I shoved it back and rushed out the door.

After I got downstairs, I realized I had forgotten the files I needed for my meeting, so I headed back up. That was when I saw Hudson and Mia in each other's arms.

"What if Charlotte finds out the baby I'm carrying is actually yours?" Mia asked.

"Don't worry. Charlotte trusts us so much, there's no way she'll figure it out," Hudson replied.

In that moment, the seven years of love I had given him instantly turned into a cruel joke.

My phone suddenly rang from inside my purse, and Hudson Darby and Mia Sullivan instantly pulled apart.

Hudson looked toward the door in a panic. "Who's there?"

I quickly hung up the call, swallowed down the bitter taste rising in my throat, and pushed the door open. "Hudson, it's me."

Hudson's face went pale in an instant, and he laughed awkwardly. "Honey... I thought you left. Why'd you come back?"

I swallowed back the nausea as I kicked off my shoes and grumbled. "I got downstairs and realized I forgot the files that I needed for my meeting. I'm in a rush, and it's driving me crazy."

Hearing that, Hudson thought I had not overheard their conversation and let out a huge sigh of relief. "You scared me. I thought someone broke in. Why didn't you just call me? I could've brought the files down to you so you wouldn't have to make another trip."

I subtly put some distance between us. "It's fine. I needed to use the bathroom anyway."

I glanced over at Mia and asked, "What's wrong with Mia? She doesn't look so good."

Mia's face was just as pale, and she was clutching her belly protectively. It was like she thought I was going to lunge at her and hurt the baby any second now.

Hudson stiffened for a moment, then smiled. "Oh, she was just having some stomach pain earlier."

"Really?" I pretended to be concerned, then walked into the study to grab my files. While I was at it, I slipped the prenatal checkup receipt out as well.

"Well, you'll need to take good care of her then. After all, she's pregnant now, and that's not easy."

I headed toward the door. "I'm running late, so I need to get back to the office."

"Okay, drive safe." Hudson walked me to the door like the perfect husband.

The moment the door closed, I leaned against the wall, gasping for air. I was such a coward for not confronting them right then and there. I had no idea how to deal with the fact that my beloved husband and my best friend had been sleeping together.

My chest tightened, and it hurt.

I could faintly hear Mia's voice through the door. "That was terrifying… Do you think she'd figured it out?"

Hudson sounded completely unconcerned. "Even if she did, it's not like she'd actually divorce me. We've been together for seven years, and she can't live without me. When it comes down to it, she'll just have to suck it up and help us raise the kid."

"Stop it! I don't want her raising our baby. This is our baby…"

The bitterness in my chest spread straight to my heart. All these years, I really had loved Hudson with everything I had.

I did not even remember how I made it to the office. My mind was a mess, and the meeting I had prepared for ended up being postponed because I was not in the right state.

I locked myself in my office and stayed there until the end of the workday.

The prenatal checkup receipt lay spread out on my desk. The two signatures on it felt like they were mocking me.

I had thought I was the happiest woman in the world, with a successful career, a caring husband, and a best friend who understood me. But in the end, I was just the clown in someone else's story.

The tears finally spilled over, and I covered my mouth as my body shook with sobs.

I kept asking myself over and over, "Why me? What did I do wrong?"

But after the crying stopped, I finally woke up to the truth. There had been signs all along.

Hudson was right about one thing, though. I had trusted them way too much.

I looked at the little charm Hudson kept on his desk, a stuffed bear that was not particularly well-made. I had laughingly asked him when he had started liking cutesy stuff like that.

Hudson had replied that it was a freebie he got with his coffee. I had not thought much of it at the time and even found the contrast kind of adorable.

Thinking back, the day Mia moved into our house, she had a stuffed bunny in the same style hanging from her suitcase. They were a matching set, and I had been too blind to see it.

Then there was last month's company team-building dinner. I had brought Mia along as my plus-one because I did not want her to feel lonely at home. During the meal, they served Cajun crawfish, which was my absolute favorite. Hudson put on gloves and peeled a whole bowl of them.

I was thrilled and ready to take the bowl when he casually pushed it in front of Mia instead.

"Mia hasn't had much of an appetite lately, and it's rare for her to want something spicy. Let her have this bowl first. I'll get more for you in a bit."

Everyone at the table praised him for being such a thoughtful man, taking such good care of even my best friend. Even though I felt a pang of jealousy, I forced myself to be understanding.

I even replied, "You're right. Mia's appetite has been pretty bad, so it's great when she actually wants to eat something."

I wanted to slap myself for being so stupid back then.

After thinking it through, I made my decision. Divorce was inevitable, but now was not the right time. To avoid tipping them off, I swallowed my disgust and came home right on schedule.

When I opened the door, the smell of home-cooked food hit me.

Hudson came out of the kitchen wearing an apron and carrying a pot of soup, while Mia sat at the dining table, sneaking a piece of meat.

"Honey, you're home! Go wash your hands and come eat. I made your favorite minestrone soup today."

Hudson's smile was warm and gentle. He kept putting food on Mia's plate while saying things like, "Mia, eat more. You're eating for two now. Don't worry about saving Charlotte's money, she makes plenty."

Mia shot him a flirtatious look, then turned to me. "Oh my gosh, Hudson is so good to me. Charlotte, you're not jealous, are you?"

Watching her act all innocent after getting what she wanted made me roll my eyes internally.

"Of course not," I said, smiling faintly.

I picked up a juicy piece of meat and dropped it into Mia's plate. "Eat up. You need to put on some weight for the baby."

That evening, I used work as an excuse to stay in the study. I did not come out until late into the night, moving as quietly as possible.

As I passed the guest room, I heard muffled voices inside. "Hudson… I want to…"

Mia's voice was sickeningly sweet. "The doctor said it's okay to have sex during the second trimester…"

"No." Hudson's voice was rough but firm. "What if it hurts the baby? Just hold on a little longer, okay?"

"But I want you so bad… It's been forever since you touched me… Be good now. For our baby's sake, okay? Just a few more months."

I stood outside the door, my whole body ice cold.

After a while, Hudson walked out looking flushed and frustrated.

My heart jumped, and I quickly slipped into the bedroom and got into bed. The next second, he walked in and wrapped his arms around me from behind.

His hands urgently slipped under my nightgown. "Honey… you're still awake?"

I felt sick to my stomach and shoved Hudson away hard.

Hudson froze, his expression darkening. "Honey, what's wrong? It's been half a month since we…"

"I'm exhausted today. I don't feel well." I turned away coldly so he could not see the disgust in my eyes. "Plus, I have to get up early tomorrow to meet a client. I'm not in the mood."

A flash of anger crossed Hudson's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it. "Fine. Your work is the most important thing. You've become such a career woman, you don't even care about your husband anymore."

With that, he grabbed his pillow. "I'll sleep in the guest room, so I don't disturb you."

After he left, I peeked through the door crack and saw he did not go to the empty guest room at all. Instead, he went straight into Mia's room.

I laughed bitterly to myself, then locked the bedroom door.

…

Watching Mia's belly grow bigger day by day, and seeing Hudson fuss over her constantly, the hatred inside me snowballed. But on the surface, I became calmer and calmer.

Soon came our seventh wedding anniversary. We had a tradition we never broke: no matter how busy we were, we would go see a movie together on this day every year, reliving our first date.

Hudson had even booked the tickets a week in advance. The screen showed a touching romance. I held the popcorn Hudson had bought, but I felt nothing.

Hudson sat beside me, physically present but his mind already elsewhere. His phone screen lit up every few minutes.

The movie had barely been playing for half an hour when Hudson's phone started buzzing. He glanced at the screen, and his expression changed drastically.

"Hello? Mia? What's wrong? Your stomach hurts?"

My grip on the popcorn tightened.

"What? Okay, don't panic. I'm coming home right now!"

Hudson hung up and turned to me, looking apologetic. "Honey, I'm sorry. Mia's having severe stomach pain. I need to go check on her. It would be bad if something happened."

I looked at his face in the dim glow of the big screen. "Hudson, it's our seventh anniversary. The movie isn't even over yet."

"Come on, honey, we can watch a movie anytime. Why are you being so unreasonable!" Hudson frowned impatiently. Without even waiting for my response, he grabbed his jacket and rushed out of the theater.

I sat there alone in the darkness, watching the couple on screen kiss, and it all felt painfully ironic.

When I got home, Mia was lounging on the couch, playing with a rose in her hand. She did not look like she suffered any stomach pain at all. She was even wearing my pajamas.

When she saw me come in, she stroked her belly and lazily sat up. "Charlotte, you're back! Your pajama set is really nice, so I borrowed it to wear. You don't mind, do you?"

I frowned. In the past, Mia and I had been close enough to share clothes without a second thought. But now, her wearing my pajamas felt like she was saying she wanted my pajamas and my husband too.

I looked at Mia's bulging belly and thought she probably only had about a month left before giving birth.

I forced down my anger and smiled. "If you like them that much, they're yours."

Without waiting for her reaction, I walked straight into the study and locked the door behind me. Then I called my lawyer, Robert Williams.

"The timing's about right. I'm sending you all the evidence I've collected now. Please put together divorce papers as soon as possible. I want Hudson to leave with nothing."