01 Betrayal Behind the Mirror

“How is it? Did you receive my gift?” Luca’s voice came through the phone. But Cassie didn’t answer. Her body had gone completely still. Her eyes were fixed on what lay beyond the glass in front of her. Her breath caught in her throat, as if her lungs had suddenly forgotten how to breathe. Her chest tightened painfully with every shallow inhale. “They…” Cassie’s lips trembled. “How could they do this?” The phone slipped from her hand and hit the floor. A two-way mirror stood before her. From her side, it looked like an ordinary mirror. But hidden behind it was a scene that shattered her entire world. Jacob. Her husband of two years. The man who had always told her she was the only woman he loved. He was in there with Kylie—Cassie’s best friend. And what hurt the most was that Jacob didn’t look forced or reluctant. There was no hesitation in his expression. He looked completely comfortable with Kylie, as though Cassie had never existed in his life. “No…” Cassie slowly shook her head. Her body began to tremble. “No. This can’t be happening.” She rushed toward the glass and pounded on it with both hands. “Jacob!” Her voice cracked. “Jacob, stop!” But the man on the other side didn’t hear her. Jacob was too consumed by what he was doing with Kylie. Kylie clung tightly to his back, while Jacob showed no sign of wanting to stop. Tears streamed down Cassie’s cheeks. “Stop!” She pounded on the glass again. There was no response. Of course there wasn’t. The two-way mirror allowed Cassie to see and hear everything, while Jacob and Kylie had no idea she was standing just on the other side. How ironic. For two years, Cassie had waited for Jacob to announce their marriage to the world. She had accepted every excuse he gave her—the problems within his family’s business, their difference in status, and his fear that people would accuse him of living off Cassie’s wealth. She had never pressured him. Never demanded anything from him. Because she loved Jacob. Because she trusted him. “Cassie.” A voice behind her made her flinch. She turned around. Luca stood several steps away, watching her calmly. She had no idea how long he had been there. His expression suggested that he had expected her to break the moment she saw what was happening behind the mirror. Luca approached and lifted a hand to wipe the tears from her cheek. Cassie immediately slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me!” Hatred filled her eyes. Cassie had always tried to avoid Luca. The man was obsessed with her, constantly finding ways to approach her and somehow always knowing where she was. “Don’t cry, darling.” “Don’t call me that!” Cassie took a step back. “You planned all of this, didn’t you?” Luca simply stared at her. “You must have set my husband up! He would never do something like this!” Cassie was still desperately trying to believe in Jacob. After all, he had always made her feel as though she was the only woman in his world. “This isn’t even the first time, darling. Do you want to see the videos of them sleeping together? They do it every time you leave town. They’ve even done it in your bedroom.” Cassie shouted, “Enough, Luca! I don’t want to hear your lies!” Her head throbbed. She didn’t know who to believe. She had seen Jacob with Kylie with her own eyes, yet the man standing before her was dangerous too. Luca was capable of doing anything to get what he wanted. “Kylie is my best friend. Jacob is my husband. We love each other. They wouldn’t…” Cassie’s voice faltered. It sounded as though she were trying to convince herself more than him. Tears slipped down her cheeks again. “This is all your doing.” Luca stared at her for a long moment. “If you two love each other so much, then why have you kept your marriage a secret?” “There’s a reason we kept our marriage private, and you don’t need to know because you’re an outsider, Luca!” Cassie snapped. “You really believe that?” “We kept it secret because of my family! Jacob doesn’t want people to think he’s living off me!” Jacob had always told her that he wanted to build something of his own. He didn’t want the world to believe that he had gained his wealth and status simply by marrying Cassie. That was the reason she had believed all this time. And she had never questioned it. Because she loved him. Because she trusted her husband. “Cassie, you’re so busy believing Jacob that you never stopped to question anything.” “Stop interfering in my marriage, Luca.” Cassie turned away. She couldn’t listen to him anymore. But Luca’s voice stopped her. “If you don’t believe me…” Cassie froze. “…then find out for yourself.” Slowly, she turned back. Luca was staring at her with an unreadable expression. “Find out whether that man really married you.” Cassie’s heart seemed to stop. “What are you talking about?” Luca didn’t answer immediately. He simply watched her for several seconds before speaking in a low voice. “What if what you saw tonight isn’t just an affair?” Cassie swallowed hard. “What?” “What if, for the past two years…” He paused. “…you weren’t even his wife?” Cassie’s eyes widened. “That’s impossible.” “Are you sure?” Cassie shook her head quickly. “No. That’s impossible.” She took several steps backward. “I have a marriage certificate.” “Do you?” That simple question silenced her. Luca said nothing more. He didn’t have to. The doubt had already taken root in Cassie’s mind. “No…” Cassie clutched her head. “No…” She couldn’t stay there any longer. Without paying any attention to Luca, she turned and ran out. But she stopped in front of Jacob and Kylie’s room. Her hand lifted, almost reaching for the doorknob. She could go inside. She could demand an explanation from Jacob. But slowly, her hand fell. Cassie wasn’t afraid of seeing the betrayal. She was afraid of hearing another lie. If Jacob could lie to her about Kylie, what if he had been lying about their marriage all along? Tears filled her eyes again. Cassie finally walked away without looking back. Luca watched the door she had just walked through. A few seconds later, the corner of his lips curled upward. There was something unreadable in his eyes. --- Cassie hailed a taxi. Throughout the ride, she stared blankly out the window. “This can’t be happening…” Her hands clenched tightly in her lap. “Jacob must have been set up by Luca.” She kept repeating those words, as though denying reality could somehow make the pain in her chest disappear. But the harder she tried to believe in Jacob, the stronger the doubt became. Finally, Cassie opened her contacts and called someone. The moment the call connected, she spoke. “Find out whether my marriage certificate is authentic.” She fell silent for a moment before adding in a tense voice, “And don’t tell anyone. Especially Jacob.”