When Henry saw the words scrawled across his car, his entire world collapsed in an instant. Hope She Was Worth It. The message, bold and unmistakable, taunted him, tearing through the happiness he had felt just moments ago. He turned to Emily, his pregnant wife, but instead of trust, he saw something else flicker in her eyes—doubt. No matter how much he swore he had never cheated, the damage was already done. But the truth was far worse than betrayal. This wasn’t the work of a scorned lover. This was an attack from someone much closer to him.

Emily trembled in his arms, sobbing into his chest, gripping onto him like he might disappear if she let go. Her voice was muffled, but her words cut deep. “I’m sorry, Henry. I didn’t want to believe it, but I just… I didn’t know what to think.”

He held her tighter, pressing his lips against the top of her head, wishing he could erase the past twenty-four hours. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “None of this is your fault, Emily.”But someone was to blame. And she was standing right in front of them.

Claire shifted uncomfortably under Emily’s teary, piercing gaze. Arms crossed, expression unreadable, but Henry saw it in her eyes. Regret. Maybe not entirely. Maybe not in the way she should. But she knew she had crossed a line.