Chapter 1: The Dare That Changed Everything

To everyone else, Marcus Whitaker was the husband women dreamed of—thoughtful, charming, and never home for dinner.

Among our friends and coworkers, people talked about Marcus with a kind of starry-eyed envy. He was the guy who always remembered your birthday, sent surprise flowers for anniversaries, and somehow never managed to make it home for a single weeknight dinner. To them, that was just Marcus’s little quirk—adorable, even. To me, it was the loose thread unraveling our marriage. Still, I kept up appearances, grinning through brunches, nodding at compliments that felt emptier every year.

That was, until the company retreat. We ended up playing Truth or Dare, and the new intern—Hailey—challenged me to join her in pretending to be drunk and calling our partners for help.

I wasn’t really the Truth or Dare type anymore, but Hailey had that look—eyes practically daring me to say no, all Gen Z bravado. I thought, what’s the harm? It was just a game at a lakeside resort, with my own staff as witnesses.

Marcus didn’t even answer my call. After a few rings, he hung up and texted me a single word: “Busy.”

It stung more than I expected. I could almost see him hunched over his desk, lost in spreadsheets, my name just another notification. I held the phone a moment longer, fighting to keep my hand steady as I set it down. My lips twisted into a laugh that sounded too loud, too bright—anything to mask the sting. I could feel my face flush, but I forced a smile, brushing away the embarrassment as coworkers kept laughing.

But then—

“I’m coming to pick you up right now.”

The words rang out from Hailey’s phone. I looked up and caught her gaze, eyes practically sparkling with triumph.

She didn’t even try to hide her glee. It was like the universe had handed her a win, and she wanted everyone to watch me lose.

In that instant, I thought: Maybe this marriage really is over.