Meant to Be With You

CHAPTER 1

“Frank, I’m taking your car,” Nina called out as she passed her husband, checking her watch. She was running late.

“What’s wrong with yours?” Frank asked, taking a sip of his morning coffee.

“At the shop. I told you. They promised it’d be ready by Tuesday. Were you going anywhere today?”

“No, I’m off. The keys are on the shelf by the front door.”

“Thanks. I’ll be back in a couple of hours. And call Daphne, check how she’s doing. You’ve completely forgotten about your daughter,” Nina said as she slipped into her heels, grabbed the keys, and rushed out of the house.

Two months earlier, two new women had joined their yoga class and somehow they’d ended up becoming friends.

Now every Sunday they met for coffee, traded gossip, and sometimes went shopping together.

Nina really needed that. Her friends had long since scattered to different cities after getting married, and she herself wasn't very sociable which made it hard for her to make new connections.

Nina got behind the wheel of her husband’s SUV and adjusted the seat.

She reached the restaurant quickly, flipped down the sun visor to leave her sunglasses there, since she kept losing them, and suddenly a folded sheet of paper slid down into her lap.

She unfolded it. It was a child’s drawing. Seriously? Had Frank really been carrying around Daphne’s old childhood artwork? Daphne was already eighteen. Yet the drawing looked like someone had carefully kept it all this time.

Nina gave a small, wry smile. Yeah, that was just like Frank. He loved his daughter more than anything in the world. And he consistently spoiled Nina, too.

She folded the sheet of sketch paper again and suddenly froze. On the back, written in neat handwriting, were the words:

“Ethan Osborne. Bunnies Class.”

Ethan? Who was that? Why did this boy have the same last name as they did? And why was this drawing in her husband’s car? They didn’t have any nephews or godchildren named Ethan.

Nina clenched the drawing, feeling a chill run down her spine.

She looked at the picture again. A child’s hand had drawn a sun, a little house, and three people: a man, a woman, and a boy. Nina swallowed the lump in her throat. For some reason, anxiety started to rise in her chest.

She shoved the sheet back where it had fallen, as if the physical action could ward off the rising tide of confusion, fear, and anger. Yes, anger. At what? At whom? At Frank? She didn’t know anything yet. It could’ve been anything. It had to be.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and the vibration snapped her back to reality. Nina tried to calm down, quickly wiping her clammy palms on her denim, and looked at the screen. Nadine.

“Hello?” Nina’s voice sounded tight, and in her head she was already replaying all those stories she’d once read on women’s forums about cheating husbands. That was impossible though. Completely absurd. All Frank ever did was work and take care of her and their daughter.

“Where are you? We already ordered without you,” Nadine sounded bright and carefree, as if nothing strange or scary existed in the world. “Running late?”

“I’m already here. One minute and I’ll be inside.”

Nina got out of the car, feeling her knees tremble. She just needed to calm down. She took a deep breath and tried to pull herself together.

She decided she’d deal with this later. In the end, she’d ask Frank directly what that drawing was. It had to be something silly. So why had she gotten so worked up?

Nina walked into the restaurant still shaken and confused. But the moment she saw the girls, her foolish suspicions slipped into the background.

Vivian was talking to someone on the phone and nodded at Nina in greeting when she noticed her. Nadine immediately kissed Nina on the cheek.

“Are you free for an hour later? I need to pick out a dress for my sister’s wedding,” Nadine asked.

“Of course. I’ve got no plans today,” Nina replied.

She opened the menu and quickly flipped through the pages.

Vivian slipped her phone into her purse, looked up at Nina, and smiled.

“How are you doing? You weren’t at yoga this Thursday. Did something happen?” she asked.

Vivian was ten years younger than Nina, but that age difference never showed in conversation.

She was tall and slim, with long blond hair, fair skin, faint freckles across her nose, and huge gray eyes that always sparkled with mischief. Vivian radiated calm and confidence, the kind that drew people to her.

Even with a small child, she managed everything. And she always looked stunning and stylish. Nina had even asked her for her stylist’s contacts to help sort out her own wardrobe.

“I’m fine,” Nina said, trying to bring her usual lightness back into her voice. “Frank and I went to see his parents, and then we spent a day up in the mountains at our friends’ spa resort.”

“Wow, really? Which spa?”

“SpaPark Panorama.”

“That’s a great place. I was there earlier this year. Perfect for a family getaway. My son loved it so much he didn’t want to leave,” Vivian said enthusiastically.

And Nina caught herself feeling a small flicker of envy. Daphne had already grown up. Trips like that no longer interested her.

Her daughter had just started her freshman year as an economics major, chosen a university in another city, and flown the nest.

“Yeah, it’s a shame Frank was busy and we were only passing through,” Nina said with a forced smile.

“So, what are we doing after coffee?” Vivian asked, lightly tapping her fingers on the table.

Her manicure was perfect as always, and her outfit looked simple yet expensive. Today she wore beige slacks and a tucked-in white blouse that accentuated her tiny waist.

“Nadine wants to look for a dress,” Nina nodded toward her friend. “And I’ll tag along.”

“Sounds good,” Vivian nodded. “I’m up for shopping too.

My husband actually sent money to my account today.

I was a little upset with him yesterday.

He never has time for me, always on business trips.

And today a courier showed up with a gorgeous bouquet of roses, and a nice sum landed in my account.

Message received,” she laughed, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

Just then Vivian’s phone rang. She quickly pulled it from her purse and gave them an apologetic look.

“Sorry, girls. One second.”

She stepped away from the table, speaking quietly. When she returned, she slipped the phone back into her purse. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and a thin crease appeared on her forehead.

“I’m sorry, I have to go,” she said as she hurried into her coat. “The nanny just called. Ethan threw up.”

“Poor baby,” Nadine murmured.

“I’ve gotta run. Don’t be bored without me. See you Tuesday.”

Nina nodded, but the name echoed again in her head. Ethan. The coincidence felt like a physical blow.

Vivian said goodbye, tossed a couple of bills on the table for the coffee without waiting for change, and hurried toward the exit.

“It’s always like this with her. Constant chaos.

And she still manages to spend time with her kid, go to beauty salons, work out, go to yoga, and meet us for coffee.

It’s insane," Nina said. "You know, Vivian told me her husband is incredibly caring. He dotes on their son and won’t even let her go back to work since the baby was born. Can you imagine? He gave her a car for her birthday and an apartment as an investment for their son. That kind of thing barely exists anymore. Every woman would dream of that.”

She sighed with a faint smile. It had all seemed so perfect. And Vivian herself always looked so calm and confident, like a woman who truly had a strong shoulder behind her.

“Husband?” Nadine snorted, leaned closer, and whispered, “She doesn’t have a husband.

She’s having an affair with a wealthy married guy.

Had his son so he wouldn’t go anywhere. Only he’s not stupid either.

He’s in no rush to divorce. They say the company shares belong to his wife, not him.

That’s why he stays. And Vivian’s already desperate, trying to figure out how to make him choose her. ”

Nina froze with the cup in her hand, staring at Nadine in shock.

There were too many coincidences. Three days earlier Frank had mentioned transferring shares to him.

She hadn’t paid any attention then. What did she understand about his business anyway?

And now there was the child’s drawing in his car, signed with Vivian’s son’s name.

It was impossible. Nonsense. Frank had never once given her a reason to doubt him.

Seeing her reaction, Nadine quickly added, “Why are you looking at me like that?” Nadine frowned. “Yeah, the situation’s ugly, but Vivian chose that life herself. Money, gifts, a kid. She’s got everything.”

“Are you absolutely sure she doesn’t have a husband?” Nina asked quietly, her voice sounding alien even to herself. “She’s told me so much about her husband. His favorite cherry pie, the gifts, all of it. Constantly.”

Nina didn’t judge her choice, but it still wouldn’t fit in her head. The image of Vivian’s perfect life was crumbling right in front of her. She had seemed far too proper for a story like that.

“Of course I’m sure,” Nadine said, leaning back in her chair.

“I didn’t pull this out of thin air. When I added Vivian on Instagram, I saw we had mutuals.

I asked Marina about her. Turns out Marina’s her cousin.

And Vivian herself slipped up a couple of times in front of me.

She’s always afraid to miss a call, whispering in locker rooms, just like today.

You really think her kid suddenly got sick?

” she smirked. “Everything in her life revolves around that man. He spoils her, but lives with another woman. That’s her love story.

I like Vivian as a friend, but as a woman, I can’t respect that.

You don’t break up someone else’s family. ”

Nina stayed silent, gripping the cup that had suddenly become unbearably hot. Her thoughts raced, refusing to settle. It was ridiculous to even imagine that her husband and her friend could be lovers. That made no sense. Vivian would never dare come this close if it were true.

Or would she?

“Nina?” Nadine called softly. “Are you okay? You look strange.”

“I’m fine,” Nina said, waving it off, though another wave of anxiety rose inside her.

Fragments flashed through her mind. Ethan. Shares. Wife. Lover. She desperately needed it to be coincidence. Frank couldn’t have done this. He simply wasn’t that man.

Then why did everything line up so perfectly?

Nina set the cup down, an empty ache spreading through her chest. Nadine kept talking, but the words reached her as if they were coming through water.

She had to find out. To know. To check. And as soon as possible.

Her heart tightened with a sickening premonition. Suddenly Nina understood that she needed to leave. Right now. Go home. To Frank. Only his presence could calm her and disprove this terrifying chain of coincidences.

She stood up abruptly, nearly knocking over her cup, and forced an apologetic smile.

“Nadine, I’m sorry, I’ve gotta run. I completely forgot I took Frank’s car. I promised to be back by three. He needs to go out on an errand.”

Nadine lifted her brows in surprise. “Wow. You barely finished your coffee and you’re already bolting. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Nina said quickly, grabbing her purse and jacket, trying to look calm. “I just completely lost track of time.”

“All right, go. But next time, coffee’s on you,” Nadine joked, though a flicker of confusion passed through her eyes.

Nina nodded, left a bill on the table, and headed for the exit, feeling stretched to her limit, as if something inside her might finally tear. She wanted nothing more than to get home as fast as possible, under Frank’s protection. His calm and confidence had always soothed her.