Chapter 1Strangers in the Night Wind

Ten years. Ten years of living in a different city—a different world—from my husband, and we still couldn’t have the one thing we wanted most: a child.

To finally make my husband's long-held dream of being a father come true, I did the unthinkable. At the absolute peak of my career, I quit. I walked away from it all to come home, to him.

But the moment I pushed open the door to our house, a seven-year-old boy, a miniature version of my husband, came laughing and barreling out into the hall.

My heart stopped. I grabbed the arm of the cleaning lady who was passing by, my voice tight. "Excuse me, is this the Walker residence? Eric Walker's house?"

"It is," she said, her eyes flicking to the gifts in my hands. "I hear his wife bought him the house. Everyone on the block knows it." She smiled warmly. "Are you here for the party? They're celebrating some good news."

* * *

My eyes drifted past her to the backyard, where I saw a woman with a swollen, pregnant belly. The little boy who looked so much like Eric ran laughing toward her.

In a flash, Eric’s face tightened with alarm and he lunged forward.

Just as the boy was about to collide with the woman, Eric threw out his arms, catching his reckless son.

"Leo, you're about to be a big brother, and you're still acting like this? What if you'd hurt your mom and the baby?"

The boy made a face, grinning. "But I want a little sister."

Eric ruffled his son’s hair, the affection in his eyes so thick it practically spilled over.

Eric’s parents hurried over, gently scolding the boy. "You can't be so rough from now on, sweetie. You could have caused a terrible accident."

I stood frozen, watching this perfect picture of a happy family, and the cold truth finally dawned on me.

They all knew. They all knew about this little family, and I was the only one left in the dark.

But… every time I came home, he was always so passionate, as if we were newlyweds. He’d hold me until dawn, whispering how much he’d missed me. Because of that, even after eight years without a child, I never questioned us. I never once doubted his love.

Before I boarded my flight, I’d texted him that I had a surprise. He’d replied, “Can’t wait.”

That was only a few hours ago. How could everything have changed so completely?

My gaze found Eric. His eyes scanned my face for a long moment before landing on the gift box still clutched in my hand. His voice was a raw, barely audible rasp. "What are you doing back?"

He saw me staring at the pregnant woman beside him and quickly dropped the hand that had been resting on her waist.

Suddenly, all the small, ignored details from our eight-year marriage exploded in my mind.

The way he’d always cut our video calls short, blaming a bad connection.

The gifts I’d sent home, always returned with the excuse that "the storage closets are full."

The way he’d shot down my idea to take a vacation last month, insisting that "work is just too crazy right now."

"A surprise," I said, my lips pulling into a grim parody of a smile. My throat felt like sandpaper. "Weren't you the one who said you couldn't wait?"

The woman took half a step forward, subtly positioning herself in front of him. "Excuse me, do we know each other?"

I ignored her, my eyes glued to Eric’s face. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

Eric snapped out of his trance, forcing a brittle smile. "This is Claire," he said. "The mother of my children."

He then gestured toward me, and for a split second, he hesitated.

I didn't give him the chance to lie. I held out my hand. "I'm Mia. Eric's wife."

Claire didn't move. My hand hung there, stiff and awkward in the cold air between us.

The color drained from Eric’s face. He tugged at Claire's sleeve. "Mom, Dad, why don't you take Leo inside?"

Claire gave me a long, meaningful look as Eric's parents quickly ushered the boy away, their coaxing voices fading into the house.

Once they were gone, Eric's entire demeanor shifted.

His eyes reddened, and his face crumpled with a look of profound betrayal.

"Why would you just show up like this? Are you checking up on me?"

I held myself together, my voice miraculously steady. "I quit my job."

Eric’s head snapped up. "What?"

I knew exactly what that "what" meant. My salary, earned from years of grinding away overseas, was more than enough to support his entire family in luxury. My quitting meant that lavish lifestyle was over. It meant the gravy train had come to a screeching halt. I had given up years of progress, my entire network, to come back and start from scratch.

For years, he’d grown accustomed to a life of ease funded by my hard work. Now, facing a sudden fall from that paradise, he couldn't handle it.

"You always said I didn't spend enough time with you," I said, the words tasting like ash. "So I quit. I gave up everything over there because I thought we could finally start our life together, for real."

"I wanted to tell you the good news in person, so I came straight from the airport with your gifts."

It was as if he was only just now noticing the pile of shopping bags at my feet. I had rushed here, not even stopping for a sip of water, and my clothes were damp with sweat.

He beckoned to a housekeeper I didn't recognize, a flicker of guilt in his voice. "Could you help take these gifts inside? And show… show this lady to a guest room."

He turned back to me, avoiding my eyes. "I'm taking Claire for a check-up. Just tell the housekeeper what you want for dinner."

And with that, he guided Claire out the door, as if this whole catastrophic reveal had never happened. As if he owed me, his actual wife, no explanation at all.

I watched them go, a lump forming in my throat.

This was my house. He was my husband. Those were my in-laws.

But here I was, being sent to a guest room. An intruder in my own home.

I couldn't help but wonder… if our baby had survived all those years ago, would our family have been this happy, this whole?