Chapter 1
I sat alone in the vast living room of the King mansion, the space around me as empty as my marriage. The television flickered with images of the annual charity gala—an event I'd never been invited to despite being married to its host for two years. My fingers tightened around the remote as the camera panned across the red carpet.
There he was. My husband.
Lucas King stood tall and commanding in his tailored tuxedo, his dark hair perfectly styled, his jawline sharp enough to cut glass. And wrapped around him like a second skin was Vivian Chen, the actress whose face had become more familiar to me than my husband's. Her red dress clung to every curve, her diamond earrings catching the light of a hundred camera flashes.
"Mr. King! Mr. King!" The reporters clamored for his attention. "You and Ms. Chen look stunning tonight! Is there something special you'd like to share with us?"
Lucas pulled Vivian closer, his hand resting possessively on her waist—a touch I'd never felt. The smile he gave her was intimate, tender even. My stomach twisted into knots.
"She is the most important person to me," he announced, his voice carrying clearly through the speakers.
The words sliced through me like a blade. Seven hundred and thirty nights I'd spent in our bed alone. Seven hundred and thirty mornings I'd woken to cold sheets and silence. And there he was, declaring his devotion to another woman on national television.
I switched off the TV, the silence of the mansion rushing back to fill the void. Two years of marriage, and I was nothing more than a name on a certificate, a ghost in my own home.
The grandfather clock in the hall chimed nine. I moved to the kitchen to make myself tea, the routine familiar and hollow. As I waited for the kettle to boil, I heard the front door open. Too early for Lucas—he never returned before midnight after these events.
Heels clicked against the marble floor, moving with purpose through the foyer and up the grand staircase. I followed the sound, dread pooling in my stomach.
When I reached our bedroom—technically mine alone since Lucas never slept there—I found Vivian standing by my bed, her red dress a violent splash of color against the cream bedding. She held my pillow to her face, deliberately smearing her crimson lipstick across the pristine pillowcase.
"What are you doing in my room?" My voice came out steadier than I felt.
Vivian turned, not startled in the slightest. Her perfectly painted lips curved into a smile that never reached her eyes. "Just making myself comfortable. Don't mind me."
She set the pillow down, the lipstick stain facing up like an open wound. Then she spritzed her perfume—an overwhelming floral scent—into the air around my bed.
"Lucas will be staying at my place tonight, as usual." She sauntered toward me, stopping close enough that I could smell the champagne on her breath. "I just thought you should know. Though I'm sure you're used to it by now."
I stood frozen as she brushed past me, her shoulder deliberately bumping mine. The scent of her perfume clung to me like a taunt.
"Don't wait up," she called over her shoulder, her laughter echoing down the hallway.
I remained there, staring at the lipstick stain on my pillow, feeling like an intruder in my own bedroom. Two years of this. Two years of being invisible, of pretending not to notice, of swallowing my pride.
Hours later, I heard the front door open again. This time, the heavy footsteps belonged to Lucas. I'd been sitting in the dark of the living room, waiting, the ruined pillowcase clutched in my hands.
When he passed the doorway, I called out, "She was here."
Lucas paused, turning slowly to face me. In the dim light from the hallway, his face was all shadows and angles. "Who?"
"You know who." I stood, holding up the pillowcase. "She was in our bedroom. On my bed."
Something flickered across his face—too quick to identify. Anger? Concern? It was gone before I could be sure.
"Sophia," he said my name like it was a burden, "don't provoke Vivian."
Not an explanation. Not an apology. A warning—to me, his wife—about the woman he'd just proclaimed was the most important person to him.
"She was in our home, Lucas. In my bedroom." My voice cracked despite my efforts to remain composed.
He stared at me, his expression unreadable. Then, without another word, he turned and walked away, disappearing into his study. The soft click of the lock echoed in the silence.
I stood alone in the hallway, the stained pillowcase still in my hands, the realization washing over me like ice water: in this house, in this marriage, I ranked lower than the help. I wasn't even worth an explanation.