Chapter 1: The Woman Who Shouldn’t Exist
I turned slowly.
The woman standing behind me was in her early fifties, dressed in a tailored black uniform. Her posture was stiff, but her eyes… her eyes held something between fear and pity.
“What did you say?” My voice barely came out.
She hesitated, glancing toward the ballroom. “Mr. Vance informed the household that his wife passed away six months ago. There was even a memorial donation made in your name.”
The words struck harder than any physical blow.
Dead.
He had erased me.
“Who is that woman?” I asked, forcing myself to stay upright.
“Miss Eleanor Hayes,” she replied. “She and Mr. Vance have been… together for several years.”
Several years.
My breath caught. That timeline overlapped perfectly with my marriage.
“I think you should leave,” she added softly. “If he sees you—”
May you like
“I want him to see me.”
Before she could stop me, I stepped out from behind the column.
