Chapter 1

I was unconscious at home for two hours after being left alone on Valentine's Day. My husband, Jason Fordham, and son, Shawn Fordham, were at an amusement park with Jason's first love, Isla Jones, after her divorce. Someone took a photo of them and shared it online; it made the trending topics. "Mrs. Fordham shows her face for the first time! The family of three are on a sweet trip together." The photo showed Jason holding Shawn in one arm with his other around Isla. Shawn, who'd always been a germaphobe, beamed while kissing her cheek. Jason told me not to be unreasonable. "Isla's been unhappy after her divorce. What's so bad about me spending more time with her?" Shawn said he wanted Isla to be his new mother. He even told me only to visit him once a month after the divorce—he was afraid Isla would be upset if I saw him too often. I received a text from Isla. "You know very well who he loves. Now that I'm divorced, you need to get lost. Hurry up and do it if you know what's good for you." … It was only when my phone fell out of my hand that I realized I was still lying on the floor. I sat up, my head spinning. I picked up my phone to check the time and realized I'd been unconscious for over two hours! Perhaps I had suffered from low blood sugar. It had affected me in the past—I'd almost fallen after losing my balance. What I needed now was some candy and food. I turned to leave the study when I heard the sound of something falling apart. I looked down to see I'd stepped on the airplane model I'd spent half the day assembling. I didn't have the time to bother about it just yet and headed to the living room. I felt revived after having candy and a piece of bread. I leaned against the couch and daydreamed before picking up my phone again. I checked the trending topic I'd seen earlier. There was even a video now. I clicked on it. Someone had secretly recorded the video, which showed Jason, the CEO of Fordham Group, and his "family" having fun at the amusement park. The trio rode the Ferris wheel, watched a circus performance, and played with a Frisbee. In the comments, the online community complimented the trio for being down-to-earth and lining up for all the rides like everyone else. The video wasn't in high definition, but I could still recognize the woman everyone thought was Jason's wife. She was Isla Jones, Jason's true love and unrequited crush. The video continued. When Isla scooped some of the ice cream she was enjoying and fed it to Shawn, he ate it without hesitation. That took me aback. Then, Isla kissed him on the cheek. Shawn had never allowed me to kiss him, but in the video, he beamed while returning the favor. My heart twisted painfully at the sight, making me bend over. Tears streamed down my face. Suddenly, I felt like my perseverance over the years was nothing but a joke.