Chapter 2

The cold wind hit me and cut through my thoughts.

I looked down at the old coat I had worn for three years. The cuffs were worn through, and fuzz spilled out of the holes. It was ugly.

The coat reminded me of my life. It was worn-out, broken, and far from respectable.

Last month, I ran to meet a client with a high fever of 102 °F just to earn a little commission to cover my in-laws’ medical check-up.

Whitney Parker, my mother-in-law, pocketed the money and looked at me with disgust.

“What’s this tiny bit of money even for? Mr. Watson’s daughter-in-law got him a full high-end health check.”

She took my whole paycheck and only gave me $300 a month for pocket money.

Last week, I tried to buy a $30 lipstick. She glared at me and said, “Why do you need so much money? Supporting the family is your responsibility!”

Later, I found out that she had used my salary to buy liquor for Johnson and the latest phone for Phoebe.

A chill ran through me. Light snow began to fall.

The flakes landed on my old coat and melted instantly.

The convenience store owner watched me through the glass. Her eyes shone with pity.

I stood up and brushed the snow off my coat. I needed to find a place to stay for the night.

Since they had taken my ID, I had no choice but to cancel the hotel I had just booked.

Finally, I called Jane Langley, my best friend.

“Mindy?” she asked right away. “Where are you? Why are you breathing so hard?”

“Jane, can I stay at your place tonight?”

Half an hour later, she arrived to pick me up.

When she saw me standing in the snow in my worn-out coat, her eyes filled with tears.

“Get in the car!”

The heater was on full blast. My frozen fingers slowly began to feel warm again.

“I always told you that Johnson’s useless! When you married him, I told you he was unreliable!”

I froze. “Why are you saying this now?”

“Don’t you know? Your family has been tearing you apart on social media!”

She handed me her phone.

Several posts from the Clark family were on display.

[What a disaster! My daughter-in-law ran off with the money and spent the holiday with some random man!]

[Some people don’t deserve to be mothers! She didn’t get a single cent of the year-end bonus and still acts like she owns the place. From now on, I have no mom!]

[Mindy ran off with all the money! A woman like that doesn’t deserve to be a wife or a mother!]

“How dare they say that?! They were the ones who kicked me out!”

Jane sighed. “They did this first. They made you look bad so that no one will pay attention to what they actually did.”

I was about to speak when my phone rang.

It was the company’s HR.

“Ms. Zimmerman, I’m sorry to call so late. Your family contacted me through the recruitment app to ask about you. They even mentioned details about your private life.

“While the company trusts your character, this doesn’t reflect well on you.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to contain the anger building inside me.

“Mr. Lane, that’s all slander! My family kicked me out of the house! They’re taking revenge on me.”

“I understand. But for the sake of the company’s image, please don’t come to work after the holiday until this matter is resolved.”

After the call ended, I leaned back in my seat and felt completely drained.

“What good does it do them to make me lose my job?”

It was ridiculous.

I had planned to use the fact that I did not get a year-end bonus as a setup to surprise my family with a promotion after the holidays.

I had not only been promoted to the post of director, but I was also going to receive a $1 million bonus.

My careful plan had turned into a complete joke.

Jane parked the car under her building but did not unbuckle her seatbelt right away.

“Mindy, there’s something I have to tell you.”

She turned to me with a serious expression.

“Last week, I was at our company, and I saw your husband.”

I frowned. Jane worked at a high-end insurance and healthcare company.

“What was Johnson doing at your company?”

“I looked into it. He bought a high-value accident insurance policy in your name. The beneficiaries are himself and your daughter.”

It felt like I had been thrown back into the freezing snow.

“How much coverage?”

“$2 million. Mindy, why would he suddenly buy a large accident policy in your name?”

The heat in the car felt suffocating.

I recalled Johnson’s strange behavior recently. He had been unusually attentive. He served me soup and said I worked too hard. He even offered to take me on a trip.

“Mindy,” Jane said and touched my hand in concern, “are you okay?”

I looked out at the swirling snow and slowly lifted my head.

“Jane, can you help me find a lawyer? I’m going to get a divorce. I can’t believe people can be so cruel.”