Chapter 1

I love spicy ramen. But in the seven years I've been married to Ethan Shaw, I never ate it once.

Because he can't stand the smell. Even when I had it somewhere else and came home with the faintest smell on my clothes, he'd frown and tell me to keep my distance.

When we first started dating, I once held a bowl up to his mouth, playfully coaxing him to try just one bite.

He flew into a rage and knocked the bowl out of my hands.

The hot soup scalded my face and scalp, nearly leaving me permanently disfigured.

I'll remember that for the rest of my life.

And yet today, when he came home from work and I took the suit jacket he'd taken off, I caught a strong smell of spicy ramen clinging to the collar.

"You ate spicy ramen?"

"A coworker loves the stuff. Had me try some."

Then Ethan smiled, looking almost tender.

"Turns out it really is good. I could eat it every day. For the rest of my life, even."

I didn't say anything. I knew exactly what was going on. He'd fallen for the woman who'd shared it with him, so suddenly he loved the food, too.

I didn't make a scene or confront him about it. I just walked into Ethan's office the next morning carrying a bullhorn.

I cranked the volume all the way up. "Whoever ate spicy ramen with my husband yesterday—I spent seven years trying to get him to even try the stuff, and you did it over a single meal."

"So I came here today just to thank you!"

Ethan's face turned livid on the spot.

You give a man too much leeway, and he starts thinking he can walk all over you.

——

I'd ordered the bullhorn online the night before, and it had arrived first thing that morning.

Ethan had barely left for work when it showed up.

I tested it at home first. The amplification was excellent—more than enough to make sure every single person in Ethan's office would hear every word.

When I finished, the whole company was staring at us.

Ethan's face darkened with fury. He snatched the bullhorn out of my hands.

"Vivian, are you insane?!"

"So tell me now. Who ate spicy ramen with you yesterday?"

Ethan grabbed my wrist and tried to drag me toward the door.

"Stop making a scene. Get out of here, now!"

I seized his wrist and squeezed hard, digging my long nails into his skin.

The pain made him let go instantly.

"Vivian, can you not do this at my company!"

"Do what? I only want to know who had dinner with you last night, so I can thank them in person."

"He’s Peter Mitchell! I had dinner with my assistant! Are we done now?!"

"Liar! Peter doesn't have that kind of charm."

A timid-looking intern rose from her seat in the corner.

"Mrs. Shaw, I'm the one who ate spicy ramen with Mr. Shaw yesterday."

I turned toward the voice. The girl looked barely into her twenties, with her hair in a high ponytail and an innocent face.

I glanced at Ethan.

"You wanted to keep her a secret. Too bad she just outed herself."

"Stop making things up! What secret? You're just paranoid! I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d go after her."

I walked up to the intern and looked at her ID badge.

"Whitney Vaughn, is it? I'll admit you've got something, getting my husband to change his mind about something he swore he'd never touch."

"Do yourself a favor and resign."

Whitney's eyes filled with tears. "I won't resign. I haven't done anything wrong."

Ethan yanked me back. "Vivian, what gives you the right to make Whit quit?"

"She’s not quitting! And I'm making her a permanent hire right now!"

"Vivian, you're too sensitive, too suspicious! The second any woman comes anywhere near me, you turn her into your imaginary enemy!"

"I’m so tired of this! I really am!"