Chapter 1: The moment It All Changed

Grace sat at her desk, the low hum of her office environment providing a steady, familiar soundtrack as she typed away at her computer. The fluorescent lights overhead buzzed intermittently, casting an impersonal glow across the beige walls. She had grown accustomed to the monotony of her job, the steady flow of reports, emails, and deadlines that consumed her days. But today, something was different.

She could feel it, the heavy weight in the air that settled around her chest like a thick fog, making it difficult to breathe. It was early afternoon, and the buzz of office chatter around her seemed distant, muffled. Grace adjusted the collar of her blouse, suddenly aware of a warmth creeping up her neck. She glanced at her phone, a small instinctive action, and saw a new notification. It was from an unknown number.

Her heart skipped a beat, though she couldn't explain why. She opened the message.

"Grace, I'm so sorry to have to tell you this over text, but I think you need to know. Your husband, Andrew, just welcomed a child with his mistress. I don't know the details, but it's true. I thought you should hear it from someone who cares about you."

The words blurred before her eyes as they formed in her mind. She read them over and over, trying to make sense of what was happening. A child? Andrew… her husband, the man she had married seven years ago. The man she had trusted, loved, and built a life with. A child with someone else.

She felt the ground beneath her feet begin to shift. It was as if the world had tilted, sending her into a void of disbelief. How could this happen? Her chest tightened, and her fingers hovered above the keyboard, unable to type, unable to think clearly. Her mind raced, the image of Andrew's face flashing before her. How many times had he kissed her before leaving for work, promising he'd be home for dinner? How many late nights had he spent in the office, telling her he was working on important deals? And now this. A child.

The office around her seemed to dissolve as if the space were contracting. She felt herself drowning in the weight of the information, the flood of thoughts crashing over her like a tidal wave. Her breath quickened, shallow gasps filling her chest. She had to get out. She had to escape this suffocating reality, if only for a moment.

Without thinking, she stood up abruptly, knocking her chair over in the process. The sudden motion drew the attention of a few colleagues, but she didn't register their concerned glances. Her legs felt unsteady beneath her, and she stumbled toward the door, hands trembling as she grabbed her purse from the drawer.

"Grace, are you okay?" a voice called out, but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop. Not now.

She rushed out of the office, feeling the cool air outside hit her like a slap to the face. It was a strange sensation, the chill, as if the world itself had turned on her. She didn't know where she was going—only that she needed to get away. Away from the building, away from the prying eyes, away from the truth that had just shattered everything she had known.

Her phone buzzed again in her hand, another message.

"I'm so sorry. I couldn't hold this secret any longer. Please, take care of yourself."

Grace couldn't bear to read it. Instead, she dialed Andrew's number, her fingers numb with panic. The phone rang. And rang. She held her breath, waiting for him to pick up. But it didn't stop. It just rang and rang until the voicemail came on.

Her heart thudded in her chest, a loud, insistent beat that seemed to echo in her ears.

"Andrew… pick up, please," she whispered, her voice a choked whisper.

She ended the call, her hands shaking uncontrollably as she scrolled through her recent messages. No new texts from him. No calls. Her stomach churned with nausea, and she leaned against the wall of a nearby alley, her breath coming in ragged gasps. How could he do this? How could he betray her in this way?

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she forced them back. Grace had always prided herself on her composure, her ability to keep her emotions in check, but this… this was different. This was beyond anything she could have imagined. She had always known that life wasn't perfect, that marriage had its ups and downs, but she had never, ever imagined something like this. A child with another woman. The betrayal stung more deeply than she could have anticipated.

She leaned her head back against the brick wall, closing her eyes as she tried to steady her breathing. The world felt like it was spinning out of control, and she didn't know how to stop it.

Minutes passed, though Grace couldn't tell how many. Her mind raced with a million thoughts, each one more painful than the last. Was this the end? Was their marriage truly over? How long had Andrew been seeing this woman? How long had he been hiding this from her?

Her phone buzzed again. This time, it was a call from her sister, Emma. Grace hesitated for a moment, then answered, her voice barely a whisper.

"Grace, How are you doing? Mom is asking if you would have dinner with us this weekend." Emma said.

"I…" Grace swallowed hard, struggling to find the words. "I just… I just found out something. Something about Andrew."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line before Emma spoke again, her voice softer now. "What do you mean? What about Andrew?"

Grace's pulse raced again as she fought to keep her emotions in check. She wasn't ready to say the words aloud, but she knew Emma would insist.

"He… he has a child. With another woman."

The silence on the other end of the phone was deafening. Then Emma's voice broke through, sharp and alarmed. "What? Grace, are you sure?"

"I don't know how, but it's true. I… I just got a message from someone. I don't know who, but they said it's true. I don't know what to do, Emma."

"Oh my God," Emma breathed. "I don't know what to say. Grace, I'm so sorry."

Grace leaned back against the wall, the tears she had been holding back finally spilling over. She couldn't stop them now. They fell, silent and heavy, down her cheeks as her world crumbled around her.

"I don't know what to do," she whispered again, the words barely audible.

"You're not alone," Emma said softly. "You're not alone. We'll figure this out together. You'll get through this. You will."

But Grace wasn't sure anymore. She wasn't sure of anything.

Hours later, Grace sat at home, the apartment she had shared with Andrew feeling impossibly empty. The quiet was suffocating. The comfortable, familiar space that had once felt like a sanctuary now felt like a prison. The walls seemed to close in on her, suffocating her in the silence.

She had tried calling him again. He hadn't answered. She had left a message—no response. And then, at last, she had made the decision. She would confront him. There was no other choice.

She needed to hear it from him. She needed him to admit the truth, to face her with what he had done. But now that she was here, sitting in the stillness of their home, she realized that what she was about to do could change everything. It could shatter everything. There was no going back.

Her phone buzzed once more.

It was from Andrew.

"Grace, I know you're upset, but I need you to hear me out. Please. I'll explain everything. Let's talk."

Her fingers hovered over the screen, a wave of anger and sadness surging through her. Part of her wanted to throw the phone across the room, to tear it all down and walk away. But another part of her, the part that still loved him despite everything, knew that she had to hear him out.

She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and typed back one simple message.

"We need to talk."

And as she hit send, she knew that this was the beginning of something she could never undo.