Chapter 1: The Man in My Wife’s Arms
The birthday cake slipped from my hands the moment I opened the front door.
It hit the hardwood floor upside down.
White frosting splattered across my shoes. The bouquet of white roses followed, landing beside it with a soft, pathetic thud.
For several seconds, I couldn't breathe.
My wife was kissing another man in our living room.
And the man had his hands around her waist.
I had come home two days early from a business trip because it was Vanessa's thirty-fourth birthday. I'd spent nearly an hour searching for the bakery that made her favorite lemon cake with vanilla frosting. I'd bought her twenty-four white roses because she once told me they reminded her of our first anniversary.
I'd even rehearsed what I would say when she opened the door.
None of those words mattered anymore.
Vanessa opened her eyes.
When she saw me, her smile disappeared.
The man slowly turned around.
And my entire world collapsed.
"Marcus?""
It was my younger brother.
Daniel.
The same Daniel I'd practically raised after our father died when we were teenagers. The same Daniel whose college tuition I'd paid when our mother couldn't afford it. The same man who had stood beside me at my wedding and promised to look after my wife whenever I traveled.
He was barefoot.
His shirt was half unbuttoned.
And he was standing in my living room with my wife.
"Bro," Daniel whispered.
I stared at him.
Then I looked at Vanessa.
"Don't," I said.
She took a step toward me.
"Marcus, please. Let me explain.""
"Explain what?""
"It isn't what you think.""
I looked at the two wine glasses on the coffee table. An expensive bottle of champagne sat beside them. Candles were burning near the fireplace.
There was a plate with two half-eaten slices of birthday cake.
My birthday cake.
The one I'd ordered for her.
Except someone had apparently bought another one.
"How long?"" I asked.
Neither answered.
I laughed quietly.
"That's interesting. You both have enough courage to sleep together, but neither of you can answer a simple question.""
Daniel rubbed his forehead.
"We made a mistake.""
"A mistake?""
I pointed toward Vanessa.
"Did you accidentally kiss my wife?""
"Marcus, calm down," Daniel said.
Something inside me snapped.
"Don't tell me to calm down!""
Vanessa flinched.
I'd never shouted at her like that before.
For eleven years, I'd been the husband who listened, apologized, compromised, and worked harder whenever she complained that I wasn't giving her enough.
I'd spent the last three years building my company because Vanessa wanted a bigger house, more vacations, and a life without financial worries.
And Daniel?
I'd given him a position in that same company.
I had trusted both of them with everything.
Vanessa began crying.
"It wasn't supposed to happen.""
I stared at her.
"Then when was it supposed to happen? Tomorrow? Next week?""
She covered her mouth.
Daniel stepped forward.
"Look, I know you're angry. But there's something you need to understand.""
"Then speak.""
He hesitated.
Vanessa immediately grabbed his wrist.
"Daniel, don't.""
I noticed the way she held him.
It wasn't the desperate grip of someone trying to stop a man from making things worse.
It was protective.
She was protecting him.
Even now.
I walked toward the kitchen.
"Marcus, where are you going?"" Vanessa called.
I opened the refrigerator.
Inside sat the dinner I'd asked Daniel to pick up for her. Her favorite seafood pasta, garlic bread, and a bottle of sparkling water.
Two portions were missing.
I slowly closed the refrigerator.
"Did you know I was coming home tonight?""
Vanessa shook her head.
"No.""
I looked at Daniel.
He stared at the floor.
"Daniel?""
He swallowed.
"I thought you were coming back Thursday.""
"Who told you I was coming back Thursday?""
He didn't answer.
I nodded slowly.
"Right.""
Vanessa approached me again.
"Marcus, please. We can talk about this.""
"There's nothing to talk about.""
"Don't throw away eleven years because of one terrible mistake.""
I looked at her.
"One mistake?""
She nodded desperately.
"Yes.""
"How many times did you make it?""
Her lips parted.
No sound came out.
I picked up my travel bag and walked toward the front door.
Vanessa followed me.
"Where are you going?""
"Somewhere I can breathe.""
"You can't leave me like this!""
I stopped.
For the first time that evening, I actually smiled.
"You can't leave me like this?""
She looked confused.
I turned toward her.
"Vanessa, you were kissing my brother in the house I bought. What exactly did you expect me to do? Congratulate you?""
Daniel moved closer.
"Marcus, listen. We need to discuss something before you leave.""
I looked at him.
"What?""
He glanced at Vanessa.
Then he whispered something I almost missed.
"What about the papers?""
Vanessa froze.
I slowly turned around.
"What papers?""
Daniel's face lost its color.
"Nothing.""
"Funny. You didn't sound like you were talking about nothing.""
Vanessa quickly stepped between us.
"He's confused. We've had a lot of wine.""
I looked at her.
She wasn't crying anymore.
Her eyes had changed.
For the first time since I'd entered the house, she looked genuinely frightened.
Not of losing her marriage.
Of me discovering something.
I set my travel bag down.
"What papers, Vanessa?""
She shook her head.
"Please. Not tonight.""
I walked past her toward my office.
My office door was slightly open.
That was strange.
I always locked it before leaving town. Inside were company documents, property records, financial statements, and several personal files.
I pushed the door open.
Everything looked normal.
The laptop was on the desk. The drawers were closed. My leather briefcase was where I'd left it.
Then I noticed the desk organizer had been moved.
A small corner of paper was sticking out from underneath my monitor.
I pulled it free.
The document was three pages long.
At the top, in bold letters, were the words:
*TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP AGREEMENT.*
My name appeared near the bottom.
So did the name of my company.
I read the first paragraph.
Then the second.
My hands became cold.
The document appeared to transfer controlling ownership of my business holdings into a private company I'd never heard of.
And underneath the signature line was a signature that looked almost exactly like mine.
I heard footsteps behind me.
Daniel stood in the doorway.
Vanessa was behind him.
Neither said a word.
I held up the document.
"Who signed this?""
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
She looked at the floor.
I asked again.
"Who signed my name?""
Daniel finally spoke.
"Marcus, there's a reason we did it.""
I stared at my brother.
"What reason could possibly justify forging my signature?""
He opened his mouth.
But Vanessa answered first.
"Because we were going to lose everything.""
I looked at her.
"Everything?""
She swallowed.
Then she said something that made the affair suddenly seem like the smallest problem in the room.
"Your company was supposed to belong to Daniel months ago.""
May you like
And I realized that my wife and my brother hadn't simply betrayed my marriage.
They had been planning to steal my entire life.
