One Hundred Twenty Pages of Betrayal Novel

Chapter 1 On the sixth Christmas Eve of our marriage , my family sat gathered around the dinner table when my father - in - law Harold Reynolds , whose mind had been steadily stolen by dementia , spoke up without warning " Did you prepare the gift for my grandson ?" he asked , his voice thin but clear . " I miss him this Christmas . It doesn't feel right without him here . " My husband . Liam Reynolds , was an only child We had one daughter , Sophia , who was five . For a second , I just smiled , assuming his mind had wandered again . " Dad " I said gently . " Liam and I only have Sophia .

We don't have a son Right , honey ?" Liam kept his eyes on his plate . " Yeah , ' he mumbled , the word clipped and unnatural . But before I could brush it off , my father - in - law insisted his gaze suddenly sharp . " He's a grandson . Liam took me to see him . He lives right downstairs " I went still There was someone new living in the unit below , a single mother who'd moved in a few months ago . And she did have a child . A boy . Five years old . After a brief silence . I put down my bowl , walked into the kitchen , and took out a plate of appetizers I'd prepared for later .

Smiling at my husband , who seemed about to explain , I said . " Don't let the food get cold . I'll just run this downstairs . Be right back " From the moment I shut my own door to the ding of the elevator reaching the lobby , maybe thirty seconds passed . In less than a minute . I was standing outside her apartment , the one my father - in - law had so innocently described . " Who is it ? " Knock knock The door opened . A woman , younger than me , with her hair in a low ponytail , looking deceptively sweet and innocent , stood in the entryway .

A woman's intuition told me she was exactly who I was looking for Sure enough , the moment she saw me , she panicked . Her face turned frighteningly pale , and her hands and feet trembled uncontrollably , as if she'd seen a monster Chapter 1 " Wh - who are you looking for ? " A little boy ran over . " Mommy , who is it ? " " Go back to your room ! " The woman's voice was sharp , so scared she could barely speak clearly . Yet she had the nerve to live right beneath my family , just one floor separating her from my home , my husband , and my daughter . " Good evening . I live upstairs .

" I said , my voice steady , not lowering it for the boy's benefit . " My father - in - law seems to think your son is his grandson . Care to explain ? " The woman's hand on the doorknob tightened instantly . She glanced back anxiously at her curious son , forcing a strained smile . " Oh , that . It's because one day when I was picking my son up from school , I happened to run into your ... husband . " She stumbled over the word " husband , " her tone dripping with bitter reluctance .

" He said your father - in - law was very sick , dreaming of having a grandson , so he specially asked me to play along to fulfill the old man's wish . I'm sorry if it caused you any trouble . " What a flawless explanation . Not only did it absolve her of any connection , but it also took a subtle dig at me for failing to give my father - in - law a grandson . I might have actually believed it if I hadn't noticed the family photo on the wall . It was a picture of three people under the Disneyland fireworks . The man's face was blurred , intentionally unclear .

The woman in the photo was the one standing right in front of me . I stared at the photo . The timestamp read January 8th , my daughter's fifth birthday . Liam had said he was on a last - minute business trip , stuck at the airport and couldn't make it back . So , his " business trip ' destination was Disneyland . I looked down at the entryway again . In the shoe rack , two pairs of size 11 men's dress shoes were nestled intimately against the woman's nude heels , a sickeningly close arrangement . I remembered very clearly that Liam wore size 11 . My hand gripping the plate turned white .

Pretending nothing was wrong , I handed her the appetizers . Merry Christmas . " Th - thank you The woman's hand trembled slightly as she reached for the tray . A glint of light caught my eye , a tennis bracelet on her wrist , its stones flashing cold and clear . It was identical to the one I wore . Chapter 1 My own bracelet felt suddenly cheap and heavy . That's ... beautiful , " I said , my voice tighter than I intended . " Are the diamonds real ? " Because I knew mine weren't . Liam's voice echoed in my memory , smooth and reassuring .

" Babe , the mark - up on those name - brand diamond pieces is insane right now . " * Let me get you this sterling silver version with cubic zirconia for now , it looks just as good . I promise , once the market settles , I'll get you the real thing from Tiffany's . " He'd said it with such sincerity back then that I'd agreed without a second thought . I'd even posted a photo of it on Instagram last month , caption flashing over our clasped hands : [ A million carats couldn't shine brighter than this .

] Remembering that post , still pinned , still glowing with likes , made the polite smile on my face feel like cracked glass . The woman's face drained of all color . But after a beat , something shifted in her expression . Her shoulders straightened , and she tilted her chin up , a flicker of defiance in her eyes . " Oh , it's real , " she said , her voice gaining a polished coolness . " My husband took me to the flagship store downtown to choose it himself . He said , ' Life's too short to wait for prices to drop . Get what makes you happy .

" She let her gaze drop meaningfully to my own wrist . " Some men just have different ... priorities , I guess . A woman should know her worth . " I nodded and let out a light laugh . " You're absolutely right . " " Merry Christmas . " With that , I placed the plate in her hands , turned , and walked away . Then , I took the elevator straight down to the garden and called my father, who was back in the capital . He was the CEO of Carter Enterprises , Liam's boss . " Dad , I regret it , " I said , my voice chillingly calm as I deleted that social media post bragging about Liam's devotion .

" Cancel everything . The Division VP position promised to Liam , the specialist medical team for his father , all of it ' " And find me the best divorce lawyer , I want a divorce from Llam . Yes , he's having an affair . The child is the same age as our daughter , " Chapter 1 admin