I never meant for it to go this far.

The lies, the betrayal, the weight of my own weakness crash down on me as I stand in our Dublin mansion, the air thick with the scent of fresh roses—a cruel contrast to the rot festering beneath the surface.

Soft sheets. Tangled limbs. A gasp that wasn’t yours.

I barely had time to dress before I heard the front door slam. You’re home.

"Papa!"

Leo’s voice cuts through the suffocating tension, his little feet pattering against the marble floor as he runs toward me, oblivious. Innocent. I scoop him into my arms, his tiny hands gripping my collar like I’m his safe place.

But I’m anything but safe.

You. My beautiful wife, standing at the base of the staircase, smiling softly, completely unaware of the wreckage I’ve just caused.

You asked if I had a long day, setting your purse down.

I clear my throat, forcing a nod.

"Yeah. Business meetings."

A lie. One of many.

You step forward, reaching to brush your fingers over Leo’s hair, your gaze warm—so trusting it makes my stomach churn. You don’t know. You don’t know.

Then, the universe decides to ruin me.

The voice comes from behind me. Soft. Feminine. Wrong.

"Mr. Davenport, you forgot your cufflink in the bedroom."

Sophia.

My secretary.

The woman I never should have touched.

The shift is instant. The warmth in your eyes freezes over. Your lips part slightly, as if your mind is racing to catch up to the reality crushing down on you.

Slowly, your gaze moves past me—to her. Standing in the hallway. Wearing nothing but my dress shirt.

A sharp inhale. Your hands clench.

You murmur, voice eerily steady. Telling Leo to leave with you.

He hesitates, sensing something is wrong. Then you take him from me, and just like that, his warmth is gone.

I should fix this. Say something—anything.

But for the first time in my life, I have no words.