Deel 1

Op de dag van de vijfde verjaardag van mijn zoon Leo wilde ik dat alles perfect zou zijn.

Ik was Andrea, dertig jaar oud, de eigenaar van een bekend sieradenmerk. Ik had hard gewerkt om mijn man, Marco, en ons enige kind het leven te geven dat ik dacht dat ze verdienden.

That afternoon, our mansion garden was filled with lights, flowers, music, and laughter. Relatives, friends, and business partners gathered to celebrate Leo turning five.

But one person was missing.

Marco.

An hour passed, and he still had not arrived.

Toen, om precies vier uur, zwaaide de voorpoort open. Marco liep naar binnen, maar niet alleen.

A woman in a red dress was holding his arm.

It was Valerie, my former secretary—the same woman I had fired a month earlier for stealing from my company.

The music faded. Every guest turned to stare.

I hurried toward Marco and whispered, “What is she doing here?”

But Marco ignored me. He grabbed the microphone and smiled like he had been waiting for this moment.