My Husband's Ex Crashed Our Anniversary Party—With Documents That Exposed His Double Life

The moment I saw her walk through the door, something inside me went cold. Not the kind of cold that makes you shiver, but the kind that freezes your blood, that makes time stop. Five years of marriage, and I'd never seen her in person, only in photographs James had reluctantly shown me when I'd first asked about his past relationships. Sophia Martinez—tall, elegant, with those impossible cheekbones and dark eyes that seemed to burn right through you. She wasn't supposed to be here, not tonight of all nights, not at our anniversary celebration. The string quartet in the corner of our rented ballroom was playing something soft and romantic, and waiters in crisp white shirts glided between our guests, offering champagne and hors d'oeuvres. Everything was perfect—the lighting, the flowers, the ambient chatter of our closest friends and family. James had spared no expense, insisting we celebrate our fifth anniversary in style. "Only the best for my Caroline," he'd said, kissing my forehead that morning.