After He Gave Our Baby's Locket to His Mistress's Dog

I clutched the small velvet box in my hand as I stepped into the gleaming lobby of Hayes Technologies. The custom-made gold locket nestled inside represented everything I'd been hoping for—a future with Ryan, a family, the life we'd promised each other. After three years of marriage and countless disappointments, I wanted this surprise to be perfect.

The receptionist smiled as I approached. "Mrs. Hayes! Ryan didn't mention you were coming by today."

"It's a surprise," I said, my fingers tightening around the box. "Is he in?"

"He's finishing up a meeting. You can wait in his office if you'd like."

I nodded, turning toward the hallway when a familiar bark caught my attention. Diana's golden retriever, Banjo, trotted across the lobby, his tail wagging enthusiastically. My breath caught in my throat when I spotted something glinting around his neck.

Time seemed to slow as I moved closer, my heartbeat thundering in my ears. It couldn't be. But there it was—the custom-made gold locket I had designed for our baby, hanging from Banjo's collar like a trophy.

The room tilted beneath my feet. Three weeks ago, I'd shown Ryan the design—a delicate oval with tiny stars etched around the border, waiting to be filled with our child's first photo. He'd smiled, kissed my forehead, and told me to order it. I'd kept the finished piece hidden, planning to surprise him on his birthday next week.

Yet here it was, adorning Diana Foster's dog.

"Excuse me," I managed, my voice barely audible as I approached the office manager who was petting Banjo. "That locket—where did it come from?"

She looked up, confusion crossing her features before recognition dawned. "Oh! Mr. Hayes gave it to Diana for Banjo last week. Cute, isn't it?"

The floor seemed to drop from beneath me. Last week? I'd only received the finished piece three days ago, had hidden it in my jewelry box at home. How had Ryan—?

"Is everything okay, Mrs. Hayes?" the manager asked, concern creasing her brow.

Before I could answer, the conference room doors opened. Ryan emerged, his hand resting casually on Diana's lower back as they laughed about something. Diana's sleek blonde hair caught the light as she leaned toward him, whispering something that made him smile—that private smile I once thought belonged only to me.

They froze when they saw me standing there, my eyes fixed on the locket around her dog's neck.

"Grace," Ryan said, his voice instantly shifting to that careful tone he used when I'd caught him in a lie. "I didn't know you were coming in today."

"Clearly," I whispered, my hand instinctively moving to my slightly rounded belly. Five months pregnant, after years of hoping. "I wanted to surprise you."

Diana's lips curved into that familiar smirk—the same one she'd worn when I'd humiliated myself begging her to allow me to have a child with my own husband.

"The locket," I said, my voice stronger now, anger cutting through shock. "How did it get on