Chapter 1

We had been married for five years, and my husband, Carter, had never once forgotten any of my preferences or allergies.

Everyone envied me. They said I had hit the jackpot with him.

Until I found a hidden, passcode-protected file on his laptop.

It was titled: [Her Instruction Manual].

I clicked it open. There were 256 entries in total.

"Entry No. 3: On the first day of her period, her lower back aches. Put a heating pad on her bedside table and leave some Advil. Don't ask if she's in pain—just do it."

"Entry No. 47: When you get into an argument, don't try to reason with her right away. Wait exactly 20 minutes, then text her a cute cat meme. She’ll use that as an excuse to break the silence."

"Entry No. 189: Never buy her designer bags for her birthday. Write her a handwritten letter instead. She’s a sucker for that sentimental stuff."

Every single bullet point was terrifyingly accurate.

I scrolled all the way back to the very first page.

Created: Seven years ago.

We hadn't even met yet back then.

With trembling fingers, I clicked on the file properties to see the author’s name.

Author: [Maya Song].

His ex-wife.

Just as I shut the laptop, Carter walked into the bedroom, carrying a mug of hot tea and a freshly microwaved heating pad.

"It's the first day of your cycle, right? You look a bit pale."

His smile was incredibly gentle, warm, and attentive.

But looking at his face, for the very first time, I felt like a machine operating strictly according to a piece of software.

"No. 47 says exactly how to handle me when we fight."

I looked at him, my voice barely a whisper. "But does any entry in there tell you what to do when I find out about this list?"