Chapter 1

I walked a slow circle around Rachel, studying her belly.

"You're sure the baby is his?"

Rachel stuck out her belly and nestled into Adrian's arms.

"Sophie, I'm not sleeping around. Adrian is the only man I've ever been with."

I was about to respond when Adrian cut me off.

"Got this for you."

He tossed a bag at me.

My heart skipped. I thought it might be a belated anniversary gift. With a sliver of hope, I opened the bag.

Inside was a drab gray housekeeper's uniform.

"Do you like it, Sophie? I picked it out just for you."

Rachel bit back a laugh.

"What's this supposed to mean?"

My voice shook so badly I hardly recognized it.

Amusement threaded Adrian's voice.

"Rachel is pregnant and can't manage on her own. She's moving in, and you can look after her."

"Go get the room ready. And change the sheets."

I could not risk letting him discover the truth, so I swallowed every question burning on my tongue.

Clutching the uniform, I forced myself toward the bedroom.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught them pulling out baby clothes.

I rested a hand over my flat belly. Once, there had been a baby there too.

I stripped the room and replaced everything.

Rachel walked in and swept the room with a critical eye.

Her gaze landed on the wedding photo on the wall.

In it, I wore a white wedding dress and leaned back in Adrian's arms. We were beaming at the camera.

"Adrian, can we throw away the wedding photo?"

Without a word, I stepped in front of the photo and shielded it with my body.

Adrian didn't say anything either.

Her eyes flooded with tears, and she clung to Adrian's arm.

"Adrian, that wedding photo makes me so upset. Maybe our baby doesn't want to see their daddy with another woman."

Her tears fell onto Adrian's hand. I saw his fingers curl.

The next second, he looked at me, his tone cold and hard.

"Sophie, throw it away. Rachel is carrying a baby, and the doctor said stress isn't good for the pregnancy."

I bit down hard on my lip and shook my head.

His eyes narrowed with impatience. He eased his arm from Rachel's grip, crossed the room, and towered over me.

"Do as I say. Don't make me force you."

I still didn't move.

He shoved me hard. The sudden force sent me crashing to the floor, a sharp pain shooting through my ankle.

All I could do was watch helplessly as he took down the wedding photo and tossed it into the trash outside.

Rachel crouched beside me, triumph ringing in her voice.

"Adrian loves me now, Sophie. You should get out while you can. You're never going to be this child's mother."

The instant she heard Adrian coming back, Rachel dropped to the floor, went deathly pale, and cried out in pain.

Adrian walked in on the scene and scooped her up in his arms.

"What happened?" he demanded.

Rachel's tears streamed down as she buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"I'm fine. I tried to help Sophie up, but she pushed me away and said she didn't need me. I lost my balance, that's all. Please don't blame her."

Adrian shot me a vicious look, his tone cutting to the bone.

"Rachel is pregnant, Sophie. How can you be this vicious? Get out."

Rachel quietly lifted her head and shot me a defiant look.

Gripping the edge of the bed, I slowly pulled myself up. My ankle was stiff, and even the slightest pressure sent a dull ache through it.

Every step felt like walking on broken glass.

"I barely pushed you. Do you have to be so dramatic?"

Each word landed exactly where it could hurt me most. I lowered my eyes and did not defend myself.

The moment I stepped out, I heard the door slam shut behind me.

I shuffled over to the trash can and bent down to pick up the discarded wedding photo.

The rough handling had cracked some of the glass in the frame.

I picked away the broken shards and pried the photo free. Blood from my fingertips dripped onto Adrian's face in the picture.

I carefully rolled up the photograph.

"Is your ankle okay?"

Adrian's husky voice came from behind me. He lifted me into his arms and carried me to the couch.