His Secret Son, My Broken Heart

ce cut through the fog of my thoughts. I jumped, the

ed, scrambling to turn off the stove. The kitchen was fil

nose wrinkled. "Ugh, what's that

napped. "Alfie, I'm a little b

g about "Mommy Angela" being a better cook. His words

stove, the photo burning a hole in my hand. My

kitchen behind. Luna meowed plaintively, but I couldn't stop. I just walked,

Shannon' s TikTok. The "Cheater Buster" thread.

tion is so

s, girl! He's defi

a classic. Bet she's g

n, the charming, devoted Ashton, was a liar. And not just about a casual affair. He had bu

e gleaming skyscraper where Ashton supposedly worked. The thought of confron

ar face emerge from the lobby. Mark. Ashton'

prise. "What are you doing here? I th

the area, thought I'd surprise him with lunch. You know, sinc

weeks. He's been 'working remotely' – which for him, usually means working from home,

... he told me he was

t?" He winked. "He's been around, just not here. And definitely not alone. Saw him the o

en working. He had been with Angela. My mind flashed back to the hotel photo, the lux

aimlessly again, ending up in a high-end mall. My eyes drifted past glittering displays,

needed to see the transactions. Not just for the trip

ut my laptop. I logged into our joint bank account. The onl

treatments. A weekend getaway to a luxurious resort – not the one from the photo, but another, just as expen

nd ring. Ashton had never bought me anything t

tioned. The "proposal rehearsal" Brea hint

hed in my mind again, Brea's calm, analytical voice. Gather information. I had ga

down. I walked out of the mall, the glittering lights now feeling like a cruel mockery. I