Chapter 1

The moment our eyes met, there was a hint of surprise on Calvin Gomez's face. Then, he composed himself.

His eyes moved over our daughter's tear-streaked face, and he frowned. "You wouldn't even call a cab because you're trying to save money?"

He nodded at his personal assistant, Liam Brown. "Call her a cab. I just remembered I have a project to check and endorse. It isn't too far out of the way."

I was in shock, but Liam forced me into the cab that had just arrived before I could question him.

The doors locked, and I received a text from Calvin on my phone: [Go home for now. I'll explain later at night.]

The message before that was one he had sent yesterday. [Honey, working overtime is so awful. I'm so tired, but I feel motivated again when I think of you and our daughter.]

With shaking hands, I replied, [Calvin, how can you do this to us?]

As soon as I sent it, a red error icon appeared. He had blocked me. I still refused to give up and called him, but every call went straight to voicemail.

I was in disbelief as tears rolled down my cheeks. Suddenly, my screen lit up. It was Mia Kendrick, a well-known parenting influencer in the city. She had just updated her Facebook status.

The photo showed me beside the stroller earlier, thanking her.

In her post, she said, [I was bored and was clearing out some old things. I never thought I'd end up helping a mother who's facing such hardship in life.]

[I didn't know people still lived like this nowadays. I'm grateful to my husband for giving me such a comfortable life. Comparison really is the thief of joy... From now on, I'll do everything I can to help more struggling mothers.]

The comments all praised her for being beautiful and kind. A few people even attacked me for being poor and still having a child. They said any child born into my family had the worst luck.

I was so furious I could barely breathe, and my hands shook as I scrolled through her profile.

During the holidays, Calvin had claimed he was working overtime for triple pay, but he had flown to Sunshore with Mia and her son for a vacation. I wanted to reduce his burden, so I dragged myself out while pregnant to work in food delivery while everyone else was enjoying precious time with their families.

But another rider's e-bike knocked me down, and I nearly miscarried. I was afraid Calvin would worry, so I said nothing and went to the hospital for a checkup on my own.

When gold prices were soaring, Mia posted a photo of gold jewelry spread across her bed. The caption read, [Men who appreciate their wives succeed. I thought gold looked a little tacky, but Cal said I deserved everything other women had too. I never expected its value to climb this much!]

Before our wedding, I calculated the price in my head every time the saleswoman brought over a new piece when Calvin took me to the jewelry store. To buy one gold bracelet, Calvin would need to save ten months of wages without spending a cent. Even a pair of gold earrings could keep our little family going for two months.

When I saw the stress on Calvin's face, I asked only for a two-gram gold ring. I was so afraid of losing it that I never wore it once.

Scrolling down, I saw a photo of a woman feeding a child with her back to the camera. Even the caption could not hide Mia's happiness as she bragged.

[I don't know where Cal heard that breastfeeding is not only painful but bad for a woman's body, so he hired a wet nurse for the baby.]

The metallic taste of blood in my mouth made me realize I had bitten through my lip in anger. After I gave birth to our daughter Annie Gomez, I could not produce milk. But Calvin and I could not afford expensive formulas on our meager wages, so I had to buy a breast pump and use it.

Every time, the pain was so intense that I broke out in a cold sweat.

Calvin hugged me tight when he saw me hurting and swore through tears that once he made more money, he would make it up to me.

I never imagined he had learned from my suffering just to take care of another woman.

In despair, I picked up my phone and sent a message to a chat that had been silent for years.

[The promise you made me… Does it still stand?]