Chapter 1 - The Silent Game
The sickening realization washed over me as I stared at the digital access log on my phone.
My best friend and my husband were desecrating my home while I was at the doctor.
I turned my screen off and shoved the phone deep into my maternity jeans.
My hands were still trembling, but a strange, cold clarity began to settle over my mind.
I could not let Damon know that I had discovered his disgusting secret.
If I confronted him right now, he would spin a web of lies and gaslight me into doubting my own sanity.
Worse, they would have the upper hand to hide their tracks completely.
I needed to gather undeniable proof before I burned this marriage to the ground.
I took a deep breath, pasted a soft smile on my face, and unlocked the nursery door.
I walked slowly down the stairs, deliberately making my footsteps sound heavy and calm.
Damon was in the kitchen, casually pouring a glass of iced water.
He looked up at me with those familiar brown eyes that I now knew were completely hollow.
"Are you feeling any better, sweetheart?" he asked, his voice dripping with fake concern.
"A little bit, just some typical pregnancy nausea," I lied without missing a single beat.
He handed me the glass of water, and I forced myself to accept it without flinching when his fingers brushed mine.
"I was actually thinking we should invite Claire and Owen over for dinner this weekend," I said casually.
Damon froze in the middle of closing the stainless steel refrigerator door.
The glass bottle of salad dressing rattled loudly against the plastic shelf.
"Dinner?" he asked, trying and failing to keep his voice completely steady.
"Yes, I really want to thank Claire for being so supportive lately," I replied, taking a slow sip of water.
Damon cleared his throat and quickly turned his back to me to wipe down the counter.
"Sure, that sounds like a great idea," he mumbled to the polished granite.
I turned around to walk back into the living room, feeling a dark sense of triumph.
Suddenly, my Apple Watch buzzed forcefully against my wrist.
I glanced down at the bright little screen.
May you like
It was an urgent notification from our home security system.
"Alert: The master passcode has just been deleted by the secondary user."
