3

##Chapter 3

My fingers trembled slightly, and the pain pent up in my chest felt like it was about to explode.

Clinging to my last shred of dignity, I declared, "Fine, she stays, but I'll leave!"

Kaiden was softly cooing to Quinn, gently patting her back with that familiar soothing motion that once belonged to me.

I turned and went upstairs. In the wardrobe full of conservative long pants and long-sleeved shirts, I found a strapless, backless dress and a Chanel crocodile skin handbag. I changed my clothes and stood in front of the mirror, letting down my hair from its meticulous bun to drape over my shoulders. Then, I applied foundation and lipstick, the fiery color so bright and bold, reminiscent of the proud and confident Isabella who would never compromise for anyone. With a confident smile, I was pleased with this version of myself.

Kaiden scoffed at my transformation, while Quinn again tried to persuade him to reconcile with me. He deliberately raised his voice at my retreating figure. "Let her go. Dressed like a prostitute, she'd better not come crying to me when trouble finds her."

I scoffed coldly and walked out the door without looking back.

I dialed Celine Wakeley's number, my closest friend from college days when we fiercely competed on the same project team and shared pizzas as breakfast deep into the night.

"Isabella? Oh, my God, is that you?" Her voice was as vibrant as ever.

"Come out for a drink with me," I said, my tone carrying a desperate instinct to survive.

The bar was dimly lit. It had been years since I last stepped into such a place. But when Celine hugged me, all the unfamiliar and distant emotions instantly crumbled.

There was her boyfriend, Edmund, and Felix Kingsley.

"Isabella," Felix chuckled, raising his glass. "We meet again."

Felix and I had been good friends, too. We spent three tough years in the same research group. His gentleness and chivalry had won many girls' hearts, making him a campus heartthrob back then. Since Kaiden's and my wedding, I hadn't seen Felix.

I was glad to see Felix again. We sat at the bar without pretense. I shared everything that had happened recently, including how Kaiden’s stepsister rooted herself little by little into my marriage under the guise of a "widow" and how she leveraged her status as a pregnant woman to gain all of Kaiden's protection and favoritism.

"That bitch has him wrapped around her finger," Celine said bitterly. "Playing innocent is such an old trick, but sadly, Kaiden falls for it."

"He trusts Quinn more than me," I murmured while swirling my drink. "Even though Kaiden is not foolish."

Felix spoke up then, his voice steady, "Maybe it's not about being foolish but about the child."

We all looked at him.

"Are you sure that child is her husband's?"

The question exploded in the air like a bombshell. It was something I had never dared consider, but his words punctured our collective silence.

I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it. But the more I avoided delving deeper, the more plausible this absurd notion seemed—Kaiden’s defense of her, his guilt, and his obsession with the child...

I kept drinking to numb these ludicrous thoughts.

Then, a commotion stirred in the bar. I looked up to see Kaiden. His face was ashen, and his eyes coldly fixed on Felix.

Felix responded coolly by lifting his glass slightly towards him. "Care for a drink?"

"Toast with my wife's affair partner? That’s not my taste."

Celine was the first to dispute his claim by slamming her hand on the counter. "Who's having an affair? A man who flirts with his own stepsister has no right to accuse his wife of infidelity at a class reunion."

Kaiden ignored Celine. He fiercely warned Felix, "Stay away from my wife." With that, he grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the bar. I was nearly too drunk to stand. Alcohol mixed with exhaustion and resentment as my consciousness slowly sank into darkness.

The next morning, I woke up with a headache.

I was still in last night’s clothes. My lipstick had smudged across my face, and my eye makeup had blurred into dark, shadowy rings.

The room was empty.

I got up, freshened up in the bathroom, yawning as I went downstairs.

In the kitchen, Quinn stood by the stove, humming a cheerful tune.

She turned around with barely concealed contempt in her eyes. “Next time you decide to drink with another man, think about how angry Kaiden was last night. He said that if you keep this up, he might consider divorce.”

I scoffed mockingly, “Shouldn’t you be happy if he wants to divorce me?”

“But don’t forget—as long as I'm Kaiden’s wife, you’re just an interloper in your stepbrother’s marriage, a parasite, and a despicable clown under an innocent guise.”

“And whenever I want...” I paused with a frozen smile on my face. "I can throw you out of this house.”

“You won’t be smug for long, Isabella!" Quinn snapped back.