Chapter 1

At a college alumni dinner,someone brought up happy marriages and suggested we all place our phones in the center of the table.

Whoever got the first call from her husband to pick her up would be the happiest woman there that night.

Everyone assumed it would be me.

Instead,the first phone to light up belonged to Selena,Nora's younger sister.

She reached for it with a smile,and I saw the number on the screen.

It was exactly the same as my husband Ethan's.

I was sitting beside her,close enough to hear Ethan's voice through the phone.

"Why aren't you at the apartment?"

Selena smiled sweetly.

"I was bored at home,so I came to Nora's alumni dinner with her.It's almost over."

"You're pregnant.Don't tire yourself out.I'm coming to get you now."

My fingers went cold.

Soon,everyone else's phones began ringing one after another.

Mine stayed dark.

Selena seemed to be kindly helping me out.

"Nora told me Chloe's husband is an investment banking executive.He must still be busy."

I looked up at her.

"He's already on his way.You'll see him soon."

………

"When Chloe's husband gets here,you'll see how much he adores her."

The one who said that was Mia,my college roommate.

Over the years,she had watched Ethan and me go from dating to marriage.

Ethan was transparent about his salary,reported his schedule,and treated both me and my parents with care.

In seven years of marriage,he had never even raised his voice at me.

And yet this was the man who had built another home outside our marriage.

I forced down my emotions and deliberately turned the conversation back to Selena.

"The first man to call must be the one who loves his wife most."

Everyone's eyes fell on Selena.

She wore a Chanel suit,a Patek Philippe on her wrist,and an Hermès Birkin by her hand.

Every inch of her looked carefully maintained by money.

Someone asked,"Selena,what does your husband do?"

She smiled.

"He works on Wall Street.The pay is decent.His family's old house was bought out by a developer a couple of years ago,so he has a little cushion."

My chest sank.

Ethan's family did have an old townhouse.

Two years ago,his parents moved in with us and said they would not be going back to the old neighborhood,so they sold the house.

I kept my tone casual.

"How much did it sell for?My relatives are negotiating a buyout too.I wanted a reference."

"A little over 1.3 million dollars.Not that much."

Nora immediately joined in.

"You have no idea how lucky Selena is.Her husband gave her all the money from the sale."

"Her mother-in-law Margaret adores her too.The first time they met,she gave Selena the emerald pendant necklace that's been passed down in the family."