Chapter 1
The moment I found out my husband, Stanley Edwards, had been sleeping with my younger sister, Nicole Howard, I climbed onto the roof.
I had already been battling severe depression for years. And just as I turned around to jump, Stanley came charging toward me like a madman and dropped to his knees.
He slammed his forehead against the concrete again and again, his voice cracking as he screamed. "Sharon, I was wrong! Please, I'm begging you. Don't leave me!"
My parents rushed to the railing in tears, grabbing onto me for dear life. They promised me anything as long as I came down.
That very night, Nicole Howard was supposedly put on a plane and sent out of the country.
For the next 3 years, Stanley became the perfect husband in everyone's eyes.
He turned down every dinner invitation, party, and social engagement so he could come home on time. He let me go through his phone whenever I wanted.
Even when he had to fly to Ashford once a week for work, he insisted that my older brother go with him every time.
My parents constantly told me Stanley had learned his lesson. They said from now on, he'd only have eyes for me.
And I believed them. I truly thought sunlight had finally broken through those endless dark days.
That day, without telling anyone, I went to Ashford to pick up the report from my latest psychiatric evaluation. The results were good, and I wanted to surprise everyone with the news.
On a whim, I bought a new prepaid SIM card and texted each of them from the unfamiliar number.
Unknown Number: Guess who I am. Say my name and prove I'm the person you love most.
Stanley replied first.
Stanley: Nicole, quit messing around. You're the only one who comes up with these ridiculous little games.
Mom's message came right after.
Mom: Nicole, your dad and I are almost there. We brought your favorite treats from Kingsford.
Dad's reply hurt even more.
Dad: This is all Sharon's fault. If she hadn't been so selfish, you wouldn't have had to hide away for 3 whole years.
Then my brother, Wyatt Howard, texted.
Wyatt: Nicole! Wait for us outside the restaurant. We're almost there.
My phone slipped from my hand and hit the pavement. I stood frozen in the middle of the crowd, a chill spreading through every inch of my body.
So the remorse had been fake. Nicole had never gone abroad.
From beginning to end, every single thing had been a lie.
*****
A high-pitched ringing erupted in my ears. My vision blurred.
I sucked in a breath of cold air, but suddenly, I couldn't breathe.
I crouched down to pick up my phone. My fingers were trembling so badly that I misdialed twice. It took me 3 tries before I finally called Stanley.
He picked up almost immediately. His voice was warm and gentle.
"Sharon? Did you make it to your friend's place? Don't forget to take your meds today."
Wyatt's voice cut in from the background. "Sharon, you seriously need to stop overthinking everything. You check up on him way too much. I'm right here keeping an eye on Stanley."
Then my mom, Tiffany Howard, chimed in. "We finally got a chance to get away for a couple of days. Take care of yourself, okay?"
My dad, Peter Howard, followed right after. "Sharon, don't worry. I'm watching Stanley for you. If he does anything stupid, I'll be the first one to deal with him!"
My grip tightened around the phone. Tears burned behind my eyes.
Even now, they were still putting on this ridiculous act for me.
I forced myself to steady my breathing. Then I said quietly, "Stanley, I'm in Ashford."
Silence.
2 full seconds passed. Then Stanley let out a sigh, almost like I was the one inconveniencing him.
"Why didn't you tell me your plans changed? My schedule's packed with meetings today. I really can't get away."
Tiffany sounded slightly irritated. "We've spent 3 years taking care of you. We finally get a chance to relax, so please don't start throwing a tantrum."
Peter immediately agreed. "Sharon, don't be difficult. You're going to ruin the trip for everyone."
Wyatt tried to smooth things over. "Yeah, Sharon. We already booked everything. Why don't you walk around by yourself for a while?"
I swallowed. "Okay."
Then I hung up. It felt like someone had strapped a boulder to my chest.
The physical symptoms of my depression came crashing back all at once.
I wandered half a block without knowing where I was going. Then Wyatt's text suddenly flashed through my mind.
Wyatt: Wait for us outside the restaurant.
I knew exactly which restaurant he meant. That outrageously expensive seafood place we'd loved back in college.
I used to love eating there. Back then, Stanley had worked two jobs just to save enough money to take me. He would get there before sunrise just to wait in line.
Nicole used to tease him about it. "Stanley, you treat Sharon way too well."
Stanley would look straight at me, his eyes shining like I was the only person in the world.
Then he'd say, slowly and clearly, "Because Sharon deserves it."
I hailed a cab.
When I arrived, I stopped in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows on the 1st floor. And there they were. All five of them.
Nicole looked even more beautiful than she had 3 years ago.
Tiffany and Peter sat on either side of her, taking turns piling food onto her plate.
Wyatt handed her a peeled shrimp, grinning as he ruffled her hair.
Stanley leaned over, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her cheek. Then he lifted his phone so they could take a picture together.
All eyes at the table were fixed on her. Like she was the center of their entire world.
Then suddenly, Nicole looked up. Her gaze landed directly on mine.
One corner of her mouth curled into a triumphant smile. She lifted her chin slightly, her expression full of contempt, then gestured toward my phone.
A second later, 2 screenshots came through from an unknown number.
The moment I saw the timestamps, my blood ran cold.
The first screenshot was from my wedding anniversary. Nicole had texted Stanley.
Nicole: Stanley, I want those chocolate-covered strawberries from the shop around the corner. I'm on my period, and my cramps are so bad I can't even get downstairs.
Stanley replied.
Stanley: Stay there. I'm coming.
That day, he'd told me an emergency business trip had come up. I'd sat alone in the restaurant for 3 hours.
In the end, I took the last train home by myself. And somehow, I'd still felt sorry for him because I thought he was working too hard.
The second screenshot was from the night I miscarried.
Nicole had texted him.
Nicole: I'm scared of the dark. I can't sleep. Can you come stay with me?
Stanley had driven to Ashford in the middle of the night.
When they wheeled me into surgery, there was no family member there to sign the paperwork. A nurse had to handle it for me.
When I woke up, Stanley was standing beside my hospital bed with red-rimmed eyes. He told me he'd rushed back as fast as he could.
At the bottom of the screenshots was one final message.
Nicole: Sharon, when it comes to me, you'll always be the loser.
Cold wind slipped beneath my collar. My whole body began to shake. The dull ache in my chest spread into my arms and legs.
I leaned against the wall and slowly slid to the ground. My vision kept fading to black.
