LAUREN'S POV

"Who is she, Ethan?" I asked again, louder this time, my voice shaking.

Ethan's eyes darted to the side like he was thinking of what to say. "What are you talking about?" he said finally, blinking like I'd just accused him of something crazy.

I pointed at his collar. "The lipstick. It's not mine, Ethan. So again, who is she?"

He looked down slowly, like he was just noticing it for the first time. There it was. That soft pink smudge stood out against his white shirt like a slap to my face.

"Oh," he said, brushing at it. "That? It's nothing. One of the girls at the office... she tripped or something and bumped into me. Maybe it got there then."

I stared at him. "She tripped? Onto your collar?"

He shrugged like it wasn't a big deal. "It was just a stupid accident, Lauren. Don't start making something out of nothing."

"Don't talk to me like I'm stupid," I snapped.

He sighed like he was already tired of the conversation. "Here we go again. You always do this. You always jump to the worst conclusion. You blow everything out of proportion."

I blinked, stunned. "So now it's my fault?"

He stepped past me and dropped his coat on the couch. "I don't have the energy for this right now."

I followed him. "No, you don't get to walk away and pretend this isn't happening. Our daughter waited the whole day for you. I waited. And you show up late, smelling like a woman's perfume and with lipstick on your shirt, and I'm supposed to just swallow it?"

He turned sharply. "Jesus, Lauren, it was nothing. You're so dramatic. You always have to make everything a scene."

"Because you keep giving me scenes!" My voice cracked. "You forgot her birthday again, Ethan. How many times does that make it? Two? Three?"

He rubbed his hands down his face and looked up at the ceiling. "I said I was busy."

"No, you said you'd be here," I said quietly. "And you weren't. Again."

He didn't answer that.

I felt something inside me fall a little lower. It was always like this - me begging for scraps of honesty while he acted like I was imagining things.

I looked at him. I mean, really looked at him. Same face I used to love since college. Same brown eyes that once looked at me like I was his whole world. But now... it was like there was a wall between us. One I couldn't break through no matter how hard I tried.

He started walking toward the stairs.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I'm taking a shower," he said, not even looking back. 

"Won't you have dinner?"

"I'm not hungry," he replied coldly.

I watched him disappear up the stairs, my whole body feeling heavy. I stood in the middle of the living room with my arms crossed, trying not to cry. Maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe I was just overthinking it. It could've been just an accident, like he said. Ethan wouldn't cheat on me... right? We've been through too much together. He wouldn't hurt me like that.

Then my phone pinged.

I reached for it slowly, not expecting much. Probably an email or some discount code.

But it wasn't.

It was a message from Tessa my best friend.

Tess💗: "Lauren... I wasn't sure if I should send this, but I think you need to see it."

She added a link.

My stomach turned. Tessa wouldn't send me gossip. Not unless it was serious. My fingers hovered over the message.

I tapped the link.

The browser started loading. My heart pounded so loud I could barely hear anything else. I paced the living room while I waited, rubbing my fingers against my forehead.

The screen lit up slowly. First the headline.

"Prominent Businessman Spotted Getting Cozy With Mystery Woman at Rooftop Lounge"

I blinked.

My hands started to shake. I scrolled down, my breath catching in my throat.

The page was still loading the image.

Part of it came into view the back of a man in a suit. He was leaning in close to a woman with long dark hair, her lips almost touching his cheek. The rest was blurry.

I stared. My brain started screaming at me to stop. But I couldn't. I needed to know.

Suddenly, a message from Tessa popped up again.

Tess💗: "Lauren... I think it's Ethan. I'm so sorry."

I sat down hard on the couch. My legs couldn't hold me anymore. My heart was pounding in my chest like it was trying to break free.

Please, God, don't let it be him, I whispered inside my head.

The image was still loading, slowly getting clearer. I could make out more of the man's jaw now. The angle of his chin. The curve of his ear.

I knew that face. I knew it like the back of my hand.

It was Ethan.

My heart dropped. It felt like someone had reached into my chest and squeezed it until it cracked. I covered my mouth with both hands. Tears spilled down my cheeks before I even realized I was crying. The kind of crying that just... happens. Quiet. Shocked. Crushed.

The article said it was taken just a few hours ago. Tonight. 

The smudge on his collar wasn't just some stupid accident but it came from the mysterious woman whose face hadn't been clearly captured.

I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, phone still glowing in my hands.

How could he? How could he do this to Elena? To me? After everything? After the sacrifices I made for him to build that company that made him who he is now. 

Then I heard a soft, small sound. Like a whisper.

"Mommy?"

I froze and looked up. Elena was standing on the stairs, hugging her teddy bear, eyes wide with worry.

"Mommy... why are you crying?"

LAUREN'S POV

I wiped my cheeks fast and tried to smile. I didn't want Elena to worry.

"Just something in Mommy's eye," I said softly.

She didn't look convinced, but she nodded and came down slowly, hugging her teddy bear tight. She climbed onto the couch beside me and leaned her little head on my shoulder. I held her close, breathing in her soft baby shampoo scent, trying to hold myself together.

"Did Daddy come home already?" she whispered.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Yeah... he's upstairs. He didn't want to wake you when he came in." I lied. 

Ethan didn't even attempt to go into her room and at least check on her.

She didn't say anything after that. Just sat there quietly until her eyes started to droop again. I carried her to her room and tucked her in gently. 

I kissed her forehead and whispered, "I love you more than anything, baby."

When she was finally asleep, I went into the master bedroom. Ours. Well, used to be ours.

The bed still looked neat, untouched - Ethan hadn't slept in it for weeks now. He said he needed space. Said work was too stressful, and he didn't want to keep me up when he came in late.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor. My chest felt tight, and the remaining tears I'd held back because of Elena's presence came rushing in like a storm.

I curled up, pulled the blanket around me, and let it out. Silent, broken sobs that hurt deep in my ribs. The kind that no one hears. The kind that makes you feel completely alone.

I cried until the pillow was wet. I must've fallen asleep sometime after three or four. The sky was already starting to brighten when I finally closed my eyes.

When I opened them again, the room was filled with soft daylight. My head felt heavy. My eyes were swollen. I reached for my phone to check the time. It was past 10.

I sat up slowly, brushed my hair back, and went downstairs.

The house was quiet.

"Mrs. Lauren," Rosa said gently from the kitchen. "I took Elena to school. You were sleeping so deeply, I didn't want to wake you."

I nodded. "Thank you, Rosa."

She gave me a small smile and kept wiping down the counter. I walked into the living room and saw her tidying up. That's when she noticed something on the coffee table.

"Oh," she said, picking it up. "This looks like Mr. Ethan's."

I looked closer. It was his silver USB drive - the one he always kept on his keychain. He used it for work. Always said it had important files on it.

Rosa frowned. "He must've dropped it."

Right then, her phone buzzed. She answered quickly, nodding as she spoke in Spanish. Then she turned to me. "That was Mr. Ethan. He asked if we had seen the USB. I told him yes."

"And?"

"He said I should drop it off at the office and leave it at the front desk."

I stayed quiet for a second. He had to call the maid instead of his wife - I was used to it by now. It wasn't like it was anything new. 'I'll take it,' I said.

Rosa looked surprised. "Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I'll go."

She didn't ask any questions. Just handed it to me and said, "Be careful, Mrs. Lauren."

I went upstairs, got dressed slowly in jeans, blouse, nothing fancy. Just enough to look presentable. My hands shook a little as I brushed my hair.

I drove to Ethan's office. My fingers gripped the steering wheel too tight the whole time. I kept thinking about that photo from last night. That soft pink lipstick. The way he had lied and made me feel crazy for asking.

When I walked through the glass doors of the building, and got to the CEO level the front desk secretary looked up and froze for a second. She clearly recognized me. Her smile was tight and nervous.

"Mrs. Black," she said. "Uh... Mr. Black is in a meeting right now."

I tilted my head. "Is that so?"

"Yes, he's...he's not available at the moment. And he asked not to be interrupted. But I take your message, if you like. And inform him when he's done."

Her voice was polite, but the look in her eyes wasn't. It was like she was trying to warn me. Like she knew something and didn't want me to go any further.

But I didn't stop. I didn't even answer her. I walked past her and opened the door to Ethan's office.

And there he was sitting on the couch, relaxed, smiling. Sitting right next to him, too close, was a woman I didn't recognize at first.

She was laughing softly, her hand resting on his arm like it belonged there. Like it had been there a hundred times before.

My heart dropped.

He didn't even hear me come in at first. He looked up when the woman paused mid-laugh and glanced toward the door.

When our eyes met, something in his face shifted - not guilt, not shame. Just surprise. Like I'd interrupted something slightly inconvenient.

But it was the woman who held my focus.

Her face. Her eyes. The way she tilted her head when she smiled - something about it felt familiar.

And then it hit me.

College.

Ethan's ex-girlfriend Sofia Crane. The popular girl Ethan used to be crazy about. The one he always chased until she left him high and dry. Back then, she had everything - beauty, money, connections.

I remember hoping she'd stay gone. After she broke up with him and made him the talk of the school then. That she'd never come back into his life. And now here she was.

Sitting next to my husband in such an intimate position.

Everything inside me turned cold. My hands clenched the USB so tight I thought I'd snap it in two.

LAUREN'S POV

Ethan looked up, his smile dropping fast. He frowned, like he was annoyed. Like I was the one doing something wrong.

"What are you doing here, Lauren?" he asked, standing up slowly. He didn't even look surprised to see me. No smile, no warmth, just those cold, annoyed brown eyes.

I held up the USB, my hands trembling. "You left this," I said, forcing the words out of my mouth.

"I told Rosa to bring it," he said sharply. "Not you. You shouldn't have bothered coming."

That was the first thing he said. Not thank you. Not are you okay? Not even a quick lie to pretend he cared about my feelings. No, he was mad that I came instead of the maid.

I blinked, staring at him. "That's what you're upset about?"

He said nothing. Just stood there, his jaw tight.

Before I could say another word, the lady sitting beside him spoke.

"Ethan... who is she?"

Her voice was smooth, soft, almost mocking. I turned to look at her. She crossed her legs slowly, like she was in no rush. Her nails were painted a pale pink, and the way she looked at me made my skin crawl.

Ethan didn't answer right away. I turned to him, heart pounding in my chest, waiting for him to speak. But he just opened his mouth, then closed it again.

So I answered for him.

"I'm his wife," I said quietly. I held up my left hand and showed her the ring.

But then I looked down at Ethan's hand. It was bare. No ring. No sign he'd ever worn one to work.

My chest felt like it cracked open. That moment hit me so hard, I almost forgot to breathe.

"Oh," the woman said, blinking at me. "You didn't mention a wife last night when I asked you."

Last night.

Those two words echoed in my head. Then it clicked, she was the same woman from the photo. The lipstick. The lie. The intern at the company he said not to worry about. It was her. He was with her.

My throat burned.

Ethan must've seen it in my face, the way I finally put it all together. That's when he quickly stepped in.

"Yes, I'm married," he said, like it was suddenly important now. "This is Lauren. My wife. Lauren, this is Sofia...an old friend from college."

Sofia.

I already knew. But hearing the name out loud still made my stomach twist.

Sofia turned back to me, and for a few seconds, she just looked. Up and down. Her eyes sharp. Her mouth curled into the smallest smirk as her eyes dragged over my outfit, my hair, my body. She wasn't even subtle about it.

Then she laughed. Just a little.

"Wow! I honestly can't believe it," she said, almost like she was talking to herself. "Ethan... really? This is who you ended up with?"

I felt the burn in my face. "Excuse me?" I said, my voice tight.

She kept smiling like I wasn't even worth being mad at.

"I mean, no offense," she said with a shrug, even though offense was clearly the point. " She's not what I expected. Did you stop caring about appearances completely? She's... so plain. And you've gained a lot of weight, haven't you? You could've at least dressed up properly before coming here."

I froze.

I turned to Ethan. Waiting. Begging silently for him to say something. To tell her to shut her mouth. To defend me, just once.

But he didn't.

No "Don't talk to her like that."

Instead, his face... his face said everything. He was embarrassed of me.

The same man who used to kiss my stretch marks and say they were proof I brought our daughter into the world... now looked like he didn't even want to be seen beside me.

I looked down at my outfit.

Jeans, blouse, nothing fancy but clean, neat, decent. I wasn't trying to impress anyone. I came here to drop off his stupid USB, not walk a red carpet.

And no...I wasn't skinny like I used to be in college. I had a child. I had a life. And I was tired. But I wasn't ugly. I wasn't nothing.

I looked up at Ethan again. "You're really going to let her talk to me like that?"

He didn't answer.

I felt my knees go weak, but I stayed standing. I wouldn't cry in front of her. I wouldn't give her that.

My mind started spinning, pulling me back to college. Back to when it all started.

I was just the quiet transfer student on scholarship. Ethan and Sofia were the golden couple back then. Everyone knew them. They were rich, good-looking, and popular.

Until his family lost their money. And she dropped him like he was trash. I still remember how bad he took it. The whispers in the hallway. The pity. The gossip.

I had liked Ethan then quietly from afar. I never expected him to notice me but one day, he did. He asked me out. Took me for coffee. Talked to me like I mattered. I thought... maybe he was different.

Now here we were.

Full circle.

Sofia was back, sitting in his office like she never left. Like I never existed.

And yeah, maybe I had gained a little weight. But I had also grown a life inside me. Carried our daughter, stayed up through fevers and nightmares, and ran a home while he "worked late."

Ethan used to say he liked me this way. He used to tell me I didn't need to lose a pound. "You're perfect the way you are," he'd say. "Don't stress yourself."

So why was he quiet now?

Why did he look like he agreed with everything Sophia just said?

I held onto my pride and tried to keep my voice from shaking.

"Why are you even here?" I asked, my voice steady. "Why are you sitting this close to my husband? Acting like you belong here?"

She smiled again, but this time, it wasn't playful. It was cold.

"I have every right to be close to Ethan," she said simply.

Then she leaned back against the couch like she was on a talk show.

"And," she added, dragging the word out slowly, "I'm pregnant."

The room spun.

My legs felt like jelly.

I blinked at her. "What?"

"I'm expecting Lauren," she said, placing a hand on her flat stomach. The smirk on her face turned smug. "Ethan's baby."