Chapter 1The Echo of Me

My husband, the man who claimed to love me more than life itself, is keeping an eighteen-year-old mistress on the side.

His excuse? She looks exactly like I did when we were young. He claims he’s just "letting true love continue."

Ridiculous.

The day I found out I was pregnant, I went to his office to surprise him. instead, I walked in on the girl sitting on his lap, feeding him wine mouth-to-mouth.

She asked him, "Am I just her replacement?"

He pulled her tighter and sneered, "Is she even worthy of being compared to you?"

I turned around, walked out, scheduled an abortion, and called my aunt overseas.

"Aunt Sarah, I’ve decided. I’m moving to Australia."

Aunt Sarah paused for a second before her voice burst with relief. "Claire! You’ve finally made up your mind! I’ll have your uncle start the paperwork immediately. It should take about ten days. Wait for my update."

I hung up and drove straight home.

When I walked through the door, Nathaniel was already sitting in the living room. There was a rare look of panic in his eyes.

"You’re back late. Where were you?"

I held up the pharmacy bag in my hand, my voice flat. "Nowhere special. My stomach’s been acting up. Went to the doctor, grabbed some prescriptions and herbal supplements."

My health has always been fragile, and getting pregnant was a miracle. After the abortion procedure today, the doctor specifically prescribed these supplements to help my body recover.

Seeing my expression remain calm, Nathaniel finally got to the point.

"Did you stop by the office today? Why did you leave right after you got there?"

I guessed the receptionists had told him they saw me. But he wasn't sure if I’d seen them.

In reality, they were only intimate for those few seconds. The little assistant fed him a sip of wine and then hopped off his lap.

"I was just passing by. I saw you were busy with your assistant, so I didn't want to interrupt."

He visibly exhaled, the tension leaving his shoulders.

My heart gave a sharp, dull throb.

We’ve been married seven years. To everyone around us, we were the power couple, the soulmates. I thought we’d grow old together, but I never expected his heart to wander so quickly.

"She was just giving me a report! You know how it is," he laughed nervously. "She’s young, fresh out of school. She doesn’t know the rules yet, so she stood a little too close."

Nathaniel walked over and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, his tone dripping with tenderness.

"Babe, we haven't been back to our college campus in ages. I’m free tomorrow. Why don't we go take a walk? Relive the old memories."

He looked relaxed, eager even.

We were college sweethearts. From hoodies to wedding gowns. Every anniversary, we’d go back to campus. But this year, Nathaniel said work was too crazy, so we skipped it.

Now I realized he wasn't busy with work. He was busy entertaining an eighteen-year-old.

I sighed and shook my head.

"Maybe later. The doctor put me on these meds for ten days. I have to brew the herbal tea every night. It’s a hassle."

He hummed an acknowledgement, his fingers gently stroking my long hair.

I turned my body slightly, subtly dodging his touch.

His hand froze in mid-air.

"Claire, you seem... unhappy. Is this about Mia standing too close today?"

"Mia’s just a kid. She didn't mean anything by it. You wouldn't hold a grudge against an eighteen-year-old girl, would you?"

My heart seized painfully. Once upon a time, I was an eighteen-year-old girl, too.

I looked up, my eyes empty. "No. I’m not holding a grudge."

His face brightened immediately. "That’s my girl. Hey, there's a luxury jewelry auction next week. Pick whatever you want; I’ll win it for you."

Just an hour ago, I had seen Mia’s update on Instagram.

My Silver Fox said he’s taking me to the auction next week to show me the world. He promised to win the grand finale piece just for me! I love my man so much.