Chapter 1
I had imagined my husband's homecoming a hundred different ways.
In every version, Marcus dropped his bags, ran toward me, and wrapped his arms around the twin babies he hadn't held in almost four months.
In none of those versions was he kissing another woman.
But there he was.
Standing beneath the bright afternoon sun outside the cruise terminal, with his arm wrapped around a beautiful woman in a camel-colored coat.
And his mouth pressed against hers.
For a moment, I couldn't move.
The terminal buzzed around me.
Suitcases rolled across the pavement.
Passengers shouted greetings.
Families embraced.
But everything seemed to disappear except my husband and the woman in his arms.
"Marcus!"
My scream tore through the crowd.
He jerked away from her.
His face went pale.
"Nia?"
I stood twenty feet away, holding our six-month-old twins.
Noah was strapped securely against my chest in his carrier.
Naomi rested in the double stroller I'd been pushing with one hand.
I'd spent the morning preparing this surprise.
Matching pastel outfits.
Tiny knitted hats.
A handwritten sign tucked beneath the stroller.
WELCOME HOME, DADDY.
I'd even bought his favorite chocolate cake.
Now I wished I'd stayed home.
Marcus started toward me.
"Nia, wait."
I stepped backward.
"Don't."
He raised both hands.
"Please. I can explain."
I laughed.
It was a terrible sound.
"Explain what? That your mouth accidentally fell onto hers?"
The woman looked between us.
Her beautiful face twisted with confusion.
"Marcus, who is this?"
I stared at her.
Who is this?
I was his wife.
The mother of his children.
The woman who had spent four months waking every two hours while he worked aboard a luxury cruise ship.
"I'm Nia," I said, fighting to keep my voice steady.
"His wife."
The woman went completely still.
"His what?"
Marcus closed his eyes.
"Vanessa, please."
Vanessa stepped away from him.
"You're married?"
I felt something inside me crack.
"You didn't know?"
She stared at the twins.
Then looked at Marcus.
"Those are your children?"
I nodded slowly.
"Both of them."
Marcus moved closer.
"Nia, this isn't how I wanted you to find out."
I almost couldn't breathe.
"Find out what?"
He didn't answer.
"How long?"
"Nia—"
"How long have you been sleeping with her?"
Several passengers turned toward us.
I didn't care.
For months, I'd defended him.
When my mother said I looked exhausted, I told her Marcus was sacrificing time with us to provide for our family.
When my friends asked why he rarely video-called, I blamed the ship's schedule.
When Noah had a fever and I spent the night at the emergency room alone, I told myself Marcus would have been there if he could.
I had made excuses for every absence.
Every missed call.
Every broken promise.
And now I was staring at the truth.
Marcus reached toward Noah.
"Please, let me hold my son."
I turned away.
"Don't touch them."
His face crumpled.
"Nia, they're my babies."
"And I'm your wife!"
My voice broke.
"Remember me?"
Vanessa backed away.
She looked genuinely sick.
"Marcus, you told me you were single."
He looked at her.
"Vanessa, not now."
"No."
Her voice sharpened.
"You told me you had no children."
I stared at him.
Marcus rubbed his forehead.
"Can we please have this conversation somewhere private?"
I shook my head.
"You weren't worried about privacy when you kissed her in front of everybody."
He swallowed.
"Nia, please."
I looked at Vanessa.
Then back at him.
"Explain it to both of us."
Silence.
A ship's horn sounded behind us.
Naomi began fussing.
I adjusted her blanket, trying to keep my trembling hands steady.
Then Vanessa spoke.
"Nia?"
I looked at her.
Her eyes were filled with tears.
"There's something else he never told you."
Marcus turned sharply.
"Vanessa, don't."
She ignored him.
"I think you need to see something."
She reached into her purse.
Marcus moved toward her.
"Give me that."
Vanessa stepped back.
"Don't touch me."
I stared at the small white envelope in her hand.
My husband's expression changed from panic to terror.
"Vanessa," he whispered. "Please."
She opened the envelope.
Inside was a photograph.
She held it toward me.
I looked down.
And my entire world tilted.
The picture showed Marcus standing beside Vanessa in front of a beautiful white house.
He was smiling.
One arm wrapped around her waist.
In his other hand was a set of keys.
I recognized the house.
I'd seen it online just three weeks earlier.
Marcus had told me it belonged to a wealthy client who wanted to invest in cruise properties.
But beneath the photograph was something even worse.
A printed document.
At the top were four words.
PROPERTY PURCHASE AND OWNERSHIP.
And on the buyer's signature line was my husband's name.
I looked up.
"Marcus?"
He said nothing.
I felt my voice disappear.
"Where did the money come from?"
Vanessa stared at him.
Then she whispered, "He told me the house was our future."
I looked at my husband.
The father of my children.
The man I'd trusted with everything.
May you like
And I realized the kiss wasn't the only secret waiting for me at that terminal.
It was just the first one.
