Chapter 1

The moment I said yes, my fiance, Jeffrey Sullivan, visibly relaxed. Then, he handed me a list, saying, "Harper will move into the master bedroom tonight. Go ahead and pack up your things."

I stared at the list, a knot forming in my stomach. I had put down the entire down payment on this house, and I had drawn up the renovation plans from scratch.

"Why am I the one who has to move?" I demanded.

Jeffrey couldn't bring himself to meet my eyes.

"Harper's morning sickness has been pretty bad, and the master bedroom is closer to the bathroom. Besides, the guest room's too small for her. I'll find you somewhere better later."

He said it so casually, as though it were perfectly obvious that I should be the one to step aside. Though I had already decided to let go, hearing him say that still sent a sharp ache through my chest.

…

I dragged my suitcase back to the house to pack my things. Out of habit, I punched in my birthday, only for the lock to flash an error.

Before I could react, Jeffrey opened the door from the other side.

On the shoe cabinet in the entryway, I spotted a note with the new code. It was my stepsister Harper Brooks' birthday.

A pair of Harper's slippers sat by the door. The wedding and honeymoon plans I had once taped to the refrigerator were gone. A list of her dietary restrictions was there instead.

I walked toward the master bedroom, each step heavier than the last.

The photo of Jeffrey and me from our trip was gone from the nightstand, replaced by a blurry ultrasound printout.

Then, I stepped into the walk-in closet and realized that my wedding dress was gone.

I called the bridal boutique at once. The employee who answered told me, "Mr. Sullivan already gave Ms. Brooks permission to take the dress in for alterations."

I hung up and turned to Jeffrey.

"I spent three months designing that wedding dress. Who gave you the right to make the decision for me?"

A flicker of guilt crossed his eyes as he stepped forward and reached for my hand. "Barbara, she'll only wear it once. I'll find another designer and have a new one made for you."

I avoided his touch. My eyes stung as tears welled up.

"It's not the same."

He paused for a moment before lowering his voice. "It's just a dress. Do you really have to make such a big deal about it with Harper right now?

"Her father died in a car accident years ago while he was out buying you a cake. She has no one else in the world. Can't you just consider this a favor you owe her?"

For 13 years, I'd heard the same thing over and over.

Whenever Harper wanted something, they would bring up her father's death and use it to pressure me into giving in.

In that moment, I finally understood what despair really felt like.

Just then, Harper called.

"Jeffrey, my belly is cramping so badly. I'm scared," she whined.

Jeffrey didn't even stop to grab his coat before heading out.

The moment the door closed behind him, I finally broke down and sank to the floor.