Her Lover Was Before My EyesChapter 1
Prologue:
On our seventh wedding anniversary, my great-grandmother came to me in a dream.
In that dream, she tapped me on the head with her cane, her face full of frustration.
“You fool. Your wife is cheating on you, and you still haven’t noticed.”
“Her lover—you’ll see him the moment you open your eyes.”
Half-believing, I opened my eyes and saw three men sitting in front of me.
One was my childhood friend, Daniel Brooks.
Another was Jason Walker, the college student Sophia and I had been sponsoring.
The last was Michael Harris, Sophia’s personal assistant.
My eyes swept across the three of them, doubt creeping into my chest.
So, which one of them was Sophia having an affair with?
When they saw me awake, all three exhaled in relief.
Daniel spoke first, his tone helpless.
“Ethan, could you maybe do something about Sophia? She called me at two in the morning, panicked that you were in terrible stomach pain, and begged me to come take care of you. If I hadn’t stopped her, she would’ve called 911.”
My heart softened immediately.
Ever since I started dating Sophia, every time I was hurt or sick, she worried more than if it were her own pain.
Last night my stomach had been unbearable. I’d only managed to sleep after taking two painkillers.
Sophia was on a business trip out of town, probably unable to reach me, so she had asked them to check in.
Michael chuckled, teasing as usual.
“See? Sophia still worries about you way too much. After all these years, you two are still acting like newlyweds. Makes people jealous.”
His tone carried the same light humor he always had.
I looked at him, uncertain.
Michael was six years older than Sophia and me. His daughter was already in elementary school.
He had a stable family, a calm personality, and was highly competent.
He’d been Sophia’s assistant for years.
In my mind, he was more like an older brother—I couldn’t imagine anything happening between them.
Just then, Mark Thompson, our butler, came in with a steaming bowl of homemade soup. His tone was filled with admiration.
“Mrs. Carter really takes good care of you, sir.”
I glanced carefully at Daniel, but his expression was normal—no jealousy, nothing unusual.
Jason, on the other hand, looked nervous. When Mark brought in the soup, he handed me a small box of dried fruit.