Chapter 1

I knew Ethan Cole was cheating on me, but I could never figure out who the other woman was.

For years, I tracked his location, checked his bills, and followed every woman who got close to him.

The worst time, I swallowed a whole bottle of pills right in front of him and demanded he tell me her name.

When I woke up, Ethan was sitting beside my hospital bed, looking exhausted.

The moment he saw my eyes open, he froze. Then he pulled me into his arms.

“Nora, there’s no one else.”

“What do I have to do to make you believe me?”

Everyone said I was crazy.

Even I started to wonder whether Ethan had really cheated on me.

Maybe the woman I couldn’t find was just a figment of my imagination.

Only Claire, my best friend of eighteen years, kept holding me and saying the same things.

“You’re not crazy. I believe you.”

“If you want a divorce, I’ll take care of you. If you don’t, I’ll keep looking with you.”

“One day, we’ll find her.”

But every time I thought I was close to catching the woman, the trail went cold.

Then Claire was hospitalized with stomach problems, and I went to bring her some porridge.

Outside her room, I heard Ethan’s anguished voice.

“Claire, I can’t keep pretending. I have to tell Nora that you’re the one I love.”

Claire snapped. She grabbed a fruit knife and held it to her throat.

“No! You can’t tell her.”

“After my parents died, she was the one who helped me get through it.”

“If you tell her that her husband and her best friend have been lying to her for three years, do you think she’ll survive it?”

Ethan’s face changed. He rushed over, wrapped his arms around Claire, and said nothing.

Outside the room, I clamped a hand over my mouth to keep from sobbing.

The third person I’d spent three years searching for had been standing between my husband and me all along.

There wasn’t enough room in a marriage for three people.

This time, I was letting go.

…

I slipped into the empty room next door and splashed cold water on my face.

Only when the mirror showed no trace of what I’d heard did I pick up the container of porridge and walk out.

Ethan and Claire sat at opposite ends of the room.

Claire’s eyes lit up when she saw me.

“Nora, you’re finally here.”

She took the container, breathed in the smell, and smiled.

“Wow, that smells amazing.”

“Your porridge is always my favorite. You’re the only one who’s ever looked out for me!”

Everything was just like it used to be.

Ever since the first time Claire brought me home in grade school, she’d loved the porridge I made.

After her parents died in an accident, she couldn’t eat. I’d spoon-feed her one bite at a time.

I looked at her reddened eyes and forced a smile.

“If you like it, have some more.”

Ethan came over and reached for the bag on my shoulder.

I turned away from him.

His hand stopped in midair. His brow furrowed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

I set my bag on a chair and looked up at him.

“What are you doing here?”

Ethan glanced toward the window.

“I had a client meeting near the office. I heard Claire was sick, so I stopped by.”

His office was on the south side of town. The hospital was on the north side.

That was quite a detour.

Claire tightened her grip on her spoon and immediately defended him.

“I was in a lot of pain. I called you, but you didn’t answer, so I called Ethan.”

“Don’t blame him. I was the one who asked him to come.”

I didn’t call her out. I picked up an apple and slowly peeled it.

“You live alone. It must be hard when you’re sick.”

The blade slid through the fruit. I looked up and smiled at her.

“When you get married, I’ll teach your husband how to make all your favorite food.”

“Especially this porridge. The timing has to be just right.”

Ethan was pouring her a glass of water.

The water spilled over the rim before he finally pulled his hand back.

Claire’s smile faltered, but she quickly stirred her porridge again.

“I don’t even have a boyfriend. Why are we talking about marriage?”

“Then find one.”

I set down the apple, opened my phone, and swiped through the photos I’d saved for her.

“This one’s a personal trainer. He seems really upbeat.”

“This one works at a bank. He’s steady and reliable.”

“And this one was a year behind me in college…”

Ethan suddenly reached over and covered the screen.

“When did you start playing matchmaker?”

He pressed down hard enough to hurt my fingers.

“I’m introducing Claire to some guys. Why are you so tense?”

His jaw had been tight.

As soon as I said that, he released my hand and softened his voice.

“I just don’t want you setting her up with someone you don’t know well and wasting her time.”

“Exactly,” Claire said.

She set down her bowl and wrapped her arms around my waist.

“I’m not ready to date. Having you is enough.”

“If no one wants me, I’ll just buy a little house someday and become a crazy old lady.”

“If Ethan ever mistreats you, come live with me. I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life.”

Her face pressed against me, just like it had when we were kids.

Those arms had once pulled me out of my house when my stepfather hit me.

They’d held me all night, crying, after I took those pills.

Now she was still holding me just as tightly.

Only now, Ethan stood between us.

I froze for half a minute.

Then I gently pushed her arms away and set the peeled apple on a plate.

“If you don’t like any of those guys, that’s fine. If you ever fall for someone, you have to tell me.”

They both looked at me.

Ethan’s shoulders tensed.

Claire lifted her bowl, her lashes trembling.

But neither of them said a word.

After a moment, Ethan came over and touched my forehead.

“Are you tired? Let’s go home and let Claire rest.”

I stepped back, picked up my bag, and walked out first.

Where no one could see, my hands wouldn’t stop shaking.