The Secret Mistress Behind My Eight-Year Relationship

Noah comes home late to the cramped apartment he shares with Anna, carrying a bowl of plain oatmeal and an easy smile. But Anna has found a custom jewelry receipt for twenty-five thousand dollars, and the twenty-thousand-dollar monthly deposits he cannot explain. When his phone lights up in the dark, the contact is a single red heart emoji followed by one word: Wife.

Following the address on the receipt, Anna finds The Azure, the city's most exclusive high-rise, and Stella, whose flawless feed of Pilates, first-class flights and Michelin dinners includes a three-year anniversary Noah never mentioned. Anna and Noah have been together eight years. Stella's messages arrive that night, revealing that Noah has told her everything about Anna's past, her scars and her therapy, and that he has been paying to keep her quiet.

Standing on the balcony in the cold, Anna finally picks up her phone to send one last reply.