Chapter 1 Cheated

Early autumn in Seaside City, with leaves turning golden and a cool, gentle breeze.

Caroline Tudor sat in her boyfriend Atticus Grayson's car, her face pale and chest tight.

Just moments ago, she had discovered a box of condoms hidden in the glove compartment. According to the packaging, three were missing, and she was certain they hadn't used them together—they had agreed not to have sex before marriage.

So, Atticus was cheating.

Shocked, she was torn between confronting him for a dramatic breakup or pretending nothing had happened—after all, they had plans to get married.

Suddenly, the driver's side door opened, interrupting her thoughts.

"Been waiting long?"

Atticus slid into the car, completely oblivious to Caroline's distress. Meanwhile, Caroline felt physically repulsed, even his hand stroking her hair made her skin crawl.

She pulled away, which finally made Atticus notice something was wrong. "What's the matter?" He asked, eyes full of concern.

Looking at the seemingly gentle and attentive Atticus, she felt her blood run cold. He always appeared refined and courteous to others, but as a lawyer, he was ruthless with words.

At that moment, Caroline decided to keep things under wraps. Without concrete evidence, his lawyer's silver tongue would surely deny everything. Besides, both families were already preparing for their wedding. If she wanted to end this relationship with dignity, Caroline needed irrefutable proof to nail Atticus to the pillar of shame.

Caroline shook her head. "Nothing, just tired from work."

"I told you not to overwork yourself. The job never ends—take it slow. You never listen," Atticus advised with an air of experience.

The sedan quickly merged from the neighborhood road onto the main thoroughfare, picking up speed like the wind.

"How many days will you be gone? When are you coming back?" Atticus asked.

Before discovering his infidelity, Caroline would have appreciated her boyfriend's thoughtfulness. Now, it was an entirely different matter.

She gazed calmly at this unfaithful man full of lies, unable to contain her resentment, and asked with visible displeasure, "Why the sudden interest in when I'm coming back?"

Atticus hesitated, surprised by her sharp tone.

But remembering she had mentioned being tired, he didn't think too much of it, assuming it was just work pressure.

Atticus explained, "I've got cases piling up lately. Just wanted to check your schedule so I can plan—if I'm free, I'll pick you up; if not, I'll rearrange my work to make sure I can."

Busy or not, you'd be my priority—the cheater certainly knew how to please her.

"Don't bother," she replied. "We're all taking the company car back."

After college, Caroline had joined a power supply company in Seaside City, working her way up to department head through excellent performance. Atticus was a senior partner at Pinnacle Law Offices. To outsiders, they seemed perfectly matched—a happy couple.

But Caroline knew better. She was just going with the flow, following the "right thing to do at the right age."

Watching her classmates and friends walk down the aisle one after another, she had vaguely felt she should find someone and get married too.

Through an introduction, she met Atticus, described by others as promising and accomplished. Her first impression was decent—Atticus was polite and gentle. She didn't dislike their interactions. She wouldn't say she liked him; he was just less objectionable than other blind dates.

"Unacceptable," Atticus insisted. "My girlfriend deserves door-to-door service."

Normally, Caroline would respond with a hug, but today she couldn't bring herself to embrace a man who had betrayed her. He felt contaminated.

"By the way, when you get back, let's take a trip for a few days," Atticus suggested.

Caroline had no interest in his travel plans. She couldn't shake the feeling that the car smelled of sex, and her mind kept conjuring images of him with another woman in this cramped space. Her stomach churned violently, burning with discomfort. She couldn't help but taste bile rising in her throat, covering her mouth, and forcing it back down.

"We'll talk when I get back," she replied.

"Come on, just request time off when you return, and we'll leave right away—a spontaneous getaway," Atticus said. With one hand on the steering wheel, he reached across to hold hers, about to bring it to his lips when Caroline pulled away.

"You're driving," she reminded him. "Watch the road."

Atticus assumed she was just being shy. "You're always so reserved. We're getting married eventually—what is there to be embarrassed about?"

Caroline crossed her arms and looked out the window, her reflection showing her restrained anger. Her mind sketched scenes of him touching another woman with that same hand. Thinking about the details, she wanted nothing more than to throw that box of condoms in his face.

Yet, she held back.

Her tightly clenched fingertips gradually relaxed. When she opened her eyes again, she had regained her composure.

They had been introduced by a respected mutual contact. Atticus was skilled in sophistry and social graces. To the outside world and her parents, he was a proper, reliable man—the ideal future son-in-law. Without solid evidence, Caroline's desire to break up cleanly would be hard to justify. They might even think she was being difficult or making excuses to avoid marriage for the sake of her career.

"Caroline."

Caroline snapped back to reality.

Atticus continued talking while looking ahead. "There's a new development near my firm—move-in ready. I checked the model unit, a nice two-thousand-square-foot place with four bedrooms, two living rooms, and two bathrooms. Could be our marital home."

"One room could be my study. I want a wall-to-wall bookcase in there—just imagine how comfortable that would be. When you're free, should we go take a look?"

Caroline found it laughable that a man cheating behind her back could so calmly plan their future together.

"We'll discuss it when I get back," she replied.

Hearing her soft voice, Atticus glanced at her in the rearview mirror and noticed her poor complexion. He reached over to feel her forehead.

"Not feeling well?"

Caroline turned away, her voice flat. "I'm fine."

"You look drained," Atticus persisted. "Did you catch a chill last night?"

"No, just tired from work," Caroline replied, irritated.

Atticus patted her hand. "You've been working hard, Caroline."

Caroline frowned, disgusted even by his touch, while Atticus continued rambling obliviously.

"My mother called last night. She found some auspicious dates for our wedding. I'll send them to you later—see which one works. We should start planning."

"We can get a mortgage for that place near my firm as our marital home, so we'll have to stay at your place temporarily after the wedding. My apartment is smaller than yours—not really suitable. My mom also mentioned that you're not getting any younger, and pregnancy might become risky. She suggested we try for a baby right after the wedding—first to reduce your health risks, and second so she and my dad can help with childcare while they're still energetic."

"Don't worry, once the baby is born, my parents can take care of it. It won't interfere with our work or our time together. Look how well they raised me—I'd trust them completely with our child."

Caroline turned to face him, and Atticus noticed her gaze. "What's wrong?"

Caroline asked, "Why should the child be raised at your parents' home? Don't I have parents too? Didn't my parents raise me well enough?"

Sensing her tone, Atticus backpedaled, not wanting to upset Caroline.

"That's not what I meant. Your parents are busy, aren't they? Mine live in the county town with not much to do—they've hired people for their supermarket. They have more free time."