Scarlett Alexis had always believed her marriage to Ethan was built on love and mutual respect—at least, that’s what she told herself when the doubt crept in. They’d met in their final year of university, bonded over shared passions for art and literature, and married three years later. For a time, their life felt picture-perfect: a cozy home, a thriving art studio she ran, and Ethan’s steady job as a consultant. But as the years passed, the cracks began to show.