Chapter 1

Nadia's POV

Four months pregnant, I went to the bar to bring Connor his wallet, only to overhear a conversation that made my blood run cold.

"She's so controlling. Billy and I can barely breathe," my husband told his friends. "I'm taking Kelsey to the countryside for three months of therapy. I'll just tell Nadia it's a parent-child program abroad."

The worst part? My ten-year-old son Billy would cover for him.

Then I had a miscarriage. In my darkest moment, Connor said he'd use experimental hypnotherapy to help me "forget the pain" so I wouldn't suffer or cling to them while they vacationed for three months.

I agreed.

But when he got everything he wanted, he regretted it.

...

The door to the private room was half-open. I raised my hand to knock, then heard Connor's voice.

"Honestly? I'm so tired of it."

I froze.

"She controls everything," Connor continued. "Billy and I can barely breathe."

One of his friends laughed. "What, she monitors what Billy eats now?"

"Billy has a severe nut allergy." Connor's voice was annoyed. "She uses that as an excuse to control every single thing he puts in his mouth. He can't even eat a snack without her checking the ingredients list first. It's exhausting."

My chest went tight. I pressed closer to the doorframe.

"Wasn't that what you liked about her?" another friend asked. "You used to say it proved she loved you."

Connor let out a cold laugh. "That was before. Now I just feel suffocated."

My eyes are burning. Turns out his heart changes so easily.

"She even followed Kelsey to the parking lot last week," Connor said. "Cornered her and accused her of trying to seduce me. Can you believe that?"

The men murmured sympathetically.

"So what are you going to do?" someone asked.

"I'm taking Kelsey to the countryside overseas for three months," Connor said. His voice brightened. "It's quiet there. Perfect for intensive therapy."

"Won't Nadia suspect something?"

"I'll tell her I'm taking Billy to a parent-child program abroad." I could hear the smile in Connor's voice. "Billy will cover for me. We've done this before, it works every time."

My knees buckled.

"You think she'll buy it?"

"Of course. She trusts Billy completely." Connor paused. "And this pregnancy isn't stable. She barely leaves the house these days. By the time we're back in three months, Kelsey's treatment will be done. Everything goes back to normal."

I didn't stay to hear more. Outside, the evening air felt too thin. I couldn't breathe properly.

When I got home, I sat on the couch for hours.

The apartment was silent, Connor wouldn't be home until late, he never was when he went out with friends. I stared at the wall, at all those framed pictures. Our wedding photos, Billy's baby pictures. We used to be so happy. How did it all go so wrong?

My hand drifted to my stomach, the bump was still small, barely there. I'd been so careful this time.

But my husband is planning to leave his pregnant wife for three months to go overseas with another woman, using some medical excuse as a cover.

I closed my eyes. Tears leaked out anyway.

No. I needed to talk to Billy first. He was just a child. Ten years old. He wouldn't lie to me about something this important.

Connor might have fooled me. But not Billy. Not my son.

I wiped my face and checked the time. School would let out in an hour.

I arrived at the school gates twenty minutes early.

Parents clustered in small groups, chatting while they waited. I stood apart from them, hugging my purse to my chest. My hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail. I hadn't bothered with makeup, I rarely did anymore, not with the morning sickness.

The bell rang. Children poured out of the building. I scanned the crowd for Billy.

He was walking with three other boys, laughing at something one of them said.

"Billy!" I called, raising my hand.

He looked over. His smile disappeared.

For a moment, he just stared at me. Then his face twisted, he turned to his friends.

"That's Ms. Clark," he said clearly. "Our housekeeper."