Camilla's POV
The question hung in the air between us like smoke. Tom's jaw tightened, his eyes searching for somewhere else to look.
"Who is she?" I repeated, each word deliberate and sharp.
His gaze flickered away from mine. The silence stretched until he finally spoke. "I don't know what you're getting at, Camilla."
My finger pointed directly at his collar. "The lipstick stain. That shade isn't mine, and we both know it."
Tom glanced down as if seeing it for the first time. The pale pink mark glowed against his crisp white shirt like evidence under a spotlight.
"Oh, that." He brushed at the stain dismissively. "Some woman at the office had an accident. She stumbled and grabbed onto me for balance. Must have happened then."
Heat rose in my chest. "She stumbled onto your collar specifically?"
His shoulders lifted in a careless shrug. "Accidents happen, Camilla. You're reading way too much into this."
"Stop treating me like I'm an idiot." The words came out harder than I intended.
A heavy sigh escaped his lips. "And here we go. This is exactly what you do every time. You take the smallest thing and turn it into some grand conspiracy."
My mouth fell open. "You're blaming me for this?"
He walked past me toward the living room, tossing his jacket onto the sofa. "I can't deal with your paranoia tonight."
I followed close behind. "My paranoia? You promised Joy you'd be here for her birthday. You showed up hours late, reeking of perfume, with another woman's lipstick on your shirt. But somehow I'm the problem?"
He spun around, his face tight with irritation. "Christ, Camilla, it was nothing. You always have to turn everything into high drama."
"Because you keep giving me reasons to!" My voice broke slightly. "This is the third time you've forgotten Joy's birthday. The third time, Tom."
He dragged his hands down his face and stared at the ceiling. "I told you I was swamped at work."
"You told me you'd be here," I said, my voice dropping to almost a whisper. "You promised her."
No response. Just that familiar silence that felt like a door slamming in my face.
Standing there, I studied his profile. The same strong jawline I'd fallen for in college. The same dark eyes that used to light up when they found mine across a crowded room. But now those eyes held nothing but distance. Like he was already somewhere else entirely.
"I'm going upstairs," he announced, heading for the staircase.
"What about dinner?" I called after him.
"Not hungry." His voice was flat, emotionless.
I watched him climb the stairs, each step taking him further away from me. My arms wrapped around myself as I stood alone in our living room, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill.
Maybe I was overreacting. Maybe it really was just an innocent mishap. Tom wouldn't betray our family, would he? Not after everything we'd built together. Not after all the years I'd supported his career, sacrificed my own dreams so he could chase his.
My phone buzzed against the coffee table.
I reached for it absently, expecting a work email or some random notification. Instead, Eden's name appeared on the screen.
My stomach clenched. Eden never texted this late unless something was wrong.
"Camilla... I wasn't sure if I should send this, but I think you need to see it."
Below her message was a blue link.
My hands began to tremble. Eden wasn't the type to forward gossip or tabloid nonsense. If she was sending me something, it mattered. My thumb hovered over the link, afraid to tap it but unable to look away.
I pressed it.
The loading screen seemed to take forever. I paced around the coffee table, my heart hammering against my ribs like a caged bird.
Slowly, a headline appeared across my screen.
"Local Business Executive Caught in Intimate Moment with Unidentified Woman"
The blood drained from my face. I scrolled down as the image began to load, piece by piece. First, the silhouette of a man in an expensive suit. Then a woman with sleek dark hair leaning into him, her lips brushing against his cheek.
The photo was taken from behind, but something about the man's posture, the way he held his shoulders, made my chest tighten.
Another message from Eden appeared.
"Camilla... I think that's Tom. I'm so sorry."
My legs gave out. I collapsed onto the sofa, staring at the screen as more details became clear. The timestamp showed the photo was taken earlier tonight. Just hours ago.
The lipstick on his collar suddenly made perfect sense.
Tears started falling before I could stop them. Not the angry kind, but the devastating kind that comes from having your world crack in half. I pressed my hand over my mouth to muffle the sound.
How could he do this to us? To Joy? After everything I'd given up to support his ambitions, to help him build the company that made him successful?
A tiny voice drifted down from the staircase. "Mommy?"
I looked up through blurry eyes. Joy stood on the steps in her pajamas, clutching her stuffed rabbit, her small face creased with concern.
"Mommy, why are you crying?"