Chapter 1
Seven years into their marriage, Jessica Rolando discovered her husband Quentin Atlante had a six–year-old son.
She crouched behind the slides at the kindergarten, watching Quentin bend down to scoop up a little boy, playing with him cheerfully.[]
“Daddy, you haven’t come to see me in sooooo long,” the child complained.[]
Quentin ruffled the boy’s hair. “Sorry, buddy. Daddy’s been swamped at work. Be good for Mommy, alright?“]
Jessica froze on the spot instantly, her mind went completely blank.
Daddy? Mommy?
Quentin and child stood there together, their faces strikingly similar.
Everything screamed the brutal truth: the man who’d sworn he’d love her forever had been cheating on her all along.
They’d been childhood sweethearts, together for over a decade. Jessica had once taken a knife to the stomach saving Quentin’s life, the attack leaving her not only childless but unable to ever have kids.[]
Back then, Quentin had knelt beside her hospital bed, eyes red with tears: “Screw having kids–I don’t want anyone else. You’re everything I need, Jess!“[]
His trembling voice still echoed in her memory, yet the scene before her now shattered that promise into a million pieces.
Jessica stumbled backward, her heart feeling like it was being carved up by razor blades, torn into countless bleeding fragments.[]
She couldn’t bear to watch anymore. She was terrified she’d march over there and confront Quentin, even more terrified of breaking down like some pathetic fool and being rejected.]
She turned and fled.
At the kindergarten entrance, her best friend Betty Laiperze had been waiting by her SUV. Seeing Jessica’s ashen face, Betty immediately jumped out “Jesus, Jess! What’s wrong?”
“Nosh said you forgot something and went back to get it. What the hell happened?“[]
Nosh was Betty’s son, and it was Betty who had dragged Jessica along to today’s parent–teacher conference.
Jessica’s face was chalk white, tears burning behind her eyes. “Betty, I need you to run a background check on someone.”
“Who?”
“Quentin Atlante…” Her throat constricted as she forced out the words in a hoarse whisper. “He has a son.“[]
“D
[Baby, just one more week and I’ll be home. Missing me yet?] [
Jessica stared at Quentin’s text, tears streaming down her face like a dam had burst.]
Every July for the past six years, he’d disappear for two weeks on some “business trip” to check on their overseas branches.]
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Chapter 1
Six whole years, and she’d never questioned it. Not once.
Reality had just bitch–slapped her hard, laughing at wh
a complete idiot she’d been.
Quentin wasn’t on any damn business trip–he was playing house with his mistress and their kid![]
If she hadn’t stumbled onto this nightmare today, she’d probably still be living in la–la land.[]
Jessica kept torturing herself, flipping through the photos on her phone. Rain pounded against the windows while lightning lit up the sky, casting shadows across her ghostly pale face.
Maybe she should’ve seen this coming.
The Atlante family was old–school traditional–no way in hell would they let some barren woman hold the title of Mrs. Atlante.[]
Unless they’d orchestrated this whole thing from the start.]
So what role had her so–called devoted husband been playing all along?||
Jessica felt like her heart was being fed through a paper shredder. She and Quentin had been inseparable since childhood–everyone always said they were meant to be together forever.]
When she was eight, she’d fallen out of their backyard oak tree. He’d thrown himself underneath her, breaking his arm, then smiled through the pain saying it was “no big deal.“[]
At twelve, when she got her first period and stained her dress, even though he knew what was happening, he’d still freaked out and sobbed that he’d “die if anything happened to her.“]
At eighteen, he’d secretly entered some underground street race, nearly getting himself killed to win a ring just to propose to her.]
He’d said: “Jess, I’m gonna love you forever.“]
Teenage love burns so pure and fierce–it had completely captured her heart.]
Then just right before their wedding, his enemies had kidnapped her, holding her for three hellish days. When they found her, she was barely breathing.
Quentin had gotten three ribs broken trying to save her, and that’s when she’d taken a knife meant for him, losing her chance to ever be a mother.
When Quentin’s mother Laurel Flores found out, she’d definitely tried to break them up.
But Quentin, still covered in bruises, had knelt in the family chapel for three days on a hunger strike, declaring: “I’d rather lose the Atlante name than lose Jess.” Finally forcing his mother to back down.[]
After they healed, they’d gotten married quickly. All of New York had witnessed their epic love story.[]
But in the end, he’d still betrayed her.
Her phone buzzed. The screen read “Hubby“-how fucking ironic.[]
Jessica numbly swiped to answer. His warm voice came through: “Hey babe, you eating real meals while I’m gone? Missing me?“]
Before, she would’ve melted into those sweet words, desperate to tell him how much she missed him.[]
Chapter 1
But now… she was terrified that if she spoke, she’d break down completely.
“Babe? Something wrong? Don’t be scared–I’ll catch the next flight home to be with you right now!“]
Quentin’s voice turned frantic–she could hear him moving around, probably grabbing his wallet and keys.[]
But Jessica couldn’t bear to see him right now. w.
ww
“I’m fine.” She was fighting to keep it together, but her voice came out rough and broken. “Seriously, don’t ditch work for me. Just fighting off a cold or something.”
This was the first time she’d ever lied to Quentin.[]
He didn’t seem to notice, apparently distracted by something on his end, but still fussed over her: “Alright, but get some sleep, yeah? Call me if you need anything, okay? Don’t make me worry.“]
Jessica managed a weak “Mm–hmm.“[]
wwwww
She was about to hang up when she heard a woman’s sultry voice in the background: “Quentin, Carter’s finally asleep. Now we can…” “0
She caught the sharp intake of his breath before the line went dead.]
Jessica’s knuckles went white as she gripped the phone, ice spreading through her veins.
He was with that bitch right now… She couldn’t let herself think about what they were doing.
A broken whimper escaped her throat–a sound completely beyond her control, like someone had reached into her chest and was crushing her heart with their bare hands.[]
She’d tried to convince herself maybe Quentin was just trapped in this impossible situation because of the kid.[]
But now it was crystal clear–he was a willing participant.[]
Betty must have heard her losing it because she burst through the door, then froze when she saw Jessica’s hollow expression. For once, Betty–who never hesitated about anything–didn’t know what to do.[]
“Jess, no man is worth destroying yourself over.“]]
Tears splashed onto the photos in Jessica’s lap, each drop echoing in the silence.
Betty’s heart shattered. She pulled Jessica into her arms, voice shaking with rage: “That son of a bitch! Quentin is such a piece of shit!“]
“All those pretty promises when he proposed to you, and now he’s got the balls to keep a side chick and bastard behind your back.“]
Jessica closed her eyes, letting the tears fall freely. She’d already made her decision about what came next…
