Chapter 1Seven Years of Waiting, Never His Home

Seven years into my marriage, the day I finally discovered I was pregnant, I went to the airport myself to pick up my husband, who had been away for three years.

I waited four hours at the airport for Julian Goldsberry, but he didn't appear. Instead, the girl he kept outside did.

“Are you Julian Goldsberry’s secretary? No need to wait, your Mr. Goldsberry was exhausted last night and is still catching up on sleep abroad. Just drop me at the usual place.”

I acknowledged her as an assistant, handed her my phone, and watched as she typed in the address of a thirty-million-dollar villa in the suburbs.

All the way, she leaned back in the leather seat, playing voice messages from her best friend aloud.

“Who says being pretty is useless? Was spending forty thousand on plastic surgery and breast implants worth it? I’ve totally got Mr. Goldsberry wrapped around my finger!”

“He not only gave me three fully paid apartments downtown and a Lamborghini, but most importantly, he’s sending me to New York for grad school when I graduate!”

“He even promised that if I get pregnant, he’ll give me even more!”

Facing her best friend’s skepticism, the girl pouted, looking smug: “The devoted husband persona is all fake, of course. His wife at home is nothing special either.”

Suddenly, her phone camera pointed at my face.

“See, someone like this, working for Julian Goldsberry, old and faded, probably no one would want her even if she tried to climb into bed, right?”

Then the girl nudged my shoulder. “Hey, wouldn’t you say so?”

* * *

I nodded, agreeing with her words.

Then my gaze slowly fell upon her face. The girl’s name was Maya Vance, very young, in her early twenties.

She was exquisitely doll-like; the forty thousand dollars had indeed been well spent.

She continued talking to her best friend, her voice completely unhidden, “Don’t forget, we’ve known each other for three years!”

“Besides, doesn’t Julian Goldsberry like highly educated women? His wife is doing a master’s-doctorate program, right? When he came to our school to give a lecture, he stared at me the whole time, wasn’t it also because I was an outstanding student representative?”

Listening to the sweetness in her words, my fingers, gripping the steering wheel, tightened slightly.

Just then, Julian Goldsberry called Maya.

“You’ve landed? Why didn’t you communicate with me before you left?”

To my surprise, Julian Goldsberry’s tone was as if he were talking to a subordinate, his business-like manner showing no hint of being on the phone with his mistress.

Less than a minute after the call ended, my phone vibrated again.

This time, it was mine.

Julian Goldsberry’s voice came through my Bluetooth headset, syrupy, as if he were a different person.

“Sweetheart, I have an impromptu meeting today, really can’t make it back.”

“Are you home yet? Have you eaten? How’s your appetite lately? I’ll stew you some soup when I get back…”

But just ten minutes ago, another girl’s bragging voice still echoed in my ears.

“You haven’t seen him in bed! He’s completely different from his usual cold, aloof self!”

A wave of nausea suddenly surged in my stomach.

It wasn’t morning sickness, but a disgust that churned from the depths of my being.

I removed my headset and took a deep breath.

Then, Maya held her phone up to me; the screen showed Julian Goldsberry’s chat window.

“Miss, your Mr. Goldsberry told you to take my luggage inside. Did you hear?”

I said nothing, turned off the engine, and got out of the car.

I admit, it was my curiosity at play; I also wanted to see their love nest.

The moment I pushed open the door, a youthful vibrancy washed over me.

Everywhere I looked was pink.

The sofa was piled high with plush toys, and every cabinet displayed action figures.

I instinctively looked for Julian Goldsberry’s traces—there were none of his favorite green plants.

Nor his beloved wine cabinet or cigar wall.

I inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.

The painful truth was, I could only rely on finding these seemingly insignificant pieces of evidence he didn't care about, to barely maintain the illusion that he still loved me.

Maya casually tossed her discarded jacket at her feet. “Nice, isn’t it? It’s all decorated in my favorite style.”

I clearly saw the necklace above her V-neck, my lips trembling slightly.

“That necklace…”

Hearing this, Maya leaned closer. “Your boss is quite generous, isn’t he? This is his birthday gift to me. I heard it’s really hard to order.”

When Julian Goldsberry gave me mine, he said it was a limited edition, and he only managed to get one.

Now, staring at that identical necklace, I suddenly couldn’t tell who between Maya and me was the secondary one.

As I turned, my peripheral vision caught the entryway.

A huge sticky note was plastered on the wall, stinging my pupils.

It was Maya’s class schedule, with several key classes circled in red pen.

Beside it were the exam times, precise down to the minute.

Julian Goldsberry’s friends always teased him about being a “dad-type” husband.

His memo app stored my dietary restrictions, the refrigerator had notes of my monthly check-up times, and he even helped me organize my family members’ medicine boxes.

I always thought that was his instinctive love.

Turns out, it was just a hobby.

Not tired enough being a dad at home, he had to raise another one outside.

“Do you want some?”

Maya tore open a bag of local jerky. “I just love this beef jerky! The school cafeteria food is so bad, and your Mr. Goldsberry found out, so every Sunday night he has his housekeeper make these snacks and pack them for me.”

She took a bite. “I wonder if his wife knows about it.”

I stared at the beef jerky in her hand, my nails digging into my palm.

Of course not.

I even thought Julian Goldsberry liked it, and sometimes I would help the housekeeper cook it.

“Miss Vance, do you know that Mr. Goldsberry and his wife have been together for seven years?”

“Yes, I know.”

Maya blinked, looking innocent. “What does that matter? I don’t want to marry him anyway.”

“He gives me money and resources, I make him happy. We both get what we want, you know?”

She leaned closer to me. “And think about it, his wife is just a frumpy housewife at home, dealing with daily chores. What passion can a man have when he comes home? I’m different. I’m young and pretty. It’s so much more respectable to bring me out.”

She suddenly became excited as she spoke: “A while ago, I accompanied Mr. Goldsberry to a wine tasting, a very high-end one.”

“Do you know why he brought me and not his wife?”

I looked at her, not taking the bait.

“Of course, it’s because I’m presentable.”

She tossed her hair. “You probably don’t know what Mr. Goldsberry’s phone wallpaper is, do you? It’s me!”

“But his lock screen is his wife, tsk tsk.”

“So, men, they’re all good-for-nothing. They want face outside and stability at home.”

I lowered my eyes, suddenly feeling a bit ironic.

“Alright, you can go upstairs.”

Maya waved her hand. “I’ll handle the luggage myself. Thank you, assistant sister.”