Chapter 1

The pungent smell of bleach stung my nostrils, making my nose burn.

In the hospital’s private suite, my mother-in-law lay curled under the sheets, letting out weak, shuddering groans like she was about to take her final breath.

My husband of five years, Mason Callahan, stood beside her with bloodshot eyes and a panicked, pale face.

"The doctor said she needs surgery," he choked out, his voice raw as he whipped his head toward me. "It's going to cost fifty thousand dollars. Sophie, get the money."

I stared down at the faded, worn hem of my clothes, keeping my voice soft. "The account is empty."

The air instantly turned to ice.

His mother’s whining cut off mid-groan. The room fell completely, terrifyingly silent.

My sister-in-law, Phoebe Callahan, bolted across the tile floor and grabbed my arm, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Sophie, please tell me you're joking," she sobbed, looking like she was on the verge of a full breakdown, "Mason’s heart can't take this kind of stress. You can't say stuff like that!

"He’s been giving you his entire ten-thousand-dollar paycheck every month for five straight years! How could there be nothing left? Mom needs that money to save her life!"

Instead of de-escalating the situation, Phoebe’s emotional plea shattered Mason's panic, replacing it with pure, deadly suspicion. He glared at me, assessing every twitch of my face.

"Sophie, are you telling me there isn't a single dollar in that account?"

I met his gaze, feeling completely detached from the drama as if I were listening to a story about a total stranger. "That's right. It's gone."

"Where did my money go?" Fire practically flared in his eyes as he took a heavy step toward me, breathing like an enraged bull. "Ten grand a month! For five years! You're telling me it's all gone? What did you spend it on?"

Right on cue, Hannah Brooks stepped forward. She gently rested a fragile hand on Mason’s arm, playing her favorite role as the sweet peacemaker.

"Mason, please don't yell at Sophie," she coaxed, casting a soft, pitying look in my direction, "She must’ve a good reason for this. You're going to scare her."

She turned her wide, sorrowful eyes to me. "Sophie, if you're in some kind of trouble, just tell us. We can figure it out together. Mason is just terrified about his mom, so please don't take his harsh words to heart."

Hannah’s pathetic little speech sounded thoughtful on the surface, but every single word was pure gasoline on the fire. Look at her: so kind, so understanding, making me look like a cold, heartless monster in comparison.

Predictably, Mason snapped.

"Figure it out together?" He shoved Hannah's hand off his arm and lunged toward me, gripping my wrist so tight I felt the bones grind. "I gave her my entire paycheck every single month! Now my mom is lying in a hospital bed, and she tells me to figure it out?"

His face contorted as he directed his rage right in my face. "When I told you to treat yourself, I was just being polite! That's just something a husband says! Did you seriously take it literally and spend every last dime?"

Veins throbbed in Mason’s neck as his voice echoed off the walls. "My mom needs this money to survive! If you had saved even a fraction of it, we wouldn't be in this disaster! Marrying a wasteful woman like you is the the worst luck I've ever had!"

Phoebe hovered near his shoulder, tugging his shirt while winking frantically at me. "Sophie, just apologize to him! Apologize and we'll figure out the money later. Let's just get through this first!"

I looked at the three of them—the furious husband, the enabler sister, and the innocent childhood sweetheart playing her sweet little act.

What a pathetic show.

I thought back to the past five years. I gave up my career as a senior partner at an accounting firm just to manage our household. I pulled every string, called in every favor, and used every connection I had to drag Mason from an ordinary employee all the way up to a corporate director.

While he casually enjoyed the fruits of my labor, he was busy taking his precious little childhood sweetheart to high-end restaurants and buying her designer bags using the very money I went out of my way to save.