Chapter 1

I sat on the edge of the bed, clutching the crumpled honeymoon itinerary in my hands.

I'd spent three sleepless nights putting it together.

A day out on the water. An evening watching the sunset. A candlelit dinner at the cliffside restaurant. A private honeymoon photoshoot—just the two of us.

I'd drawn a tiny little heart next to every item.

When Justin Hudson first saw it, he'd laughed. "Zoe, why does our honeymoon itinerary look like something an elementary school kid made for a field trip?"

My cheeks had burned as I replied, "This is our once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon. Aren't you excited?"

He'd pulled me into his arms and smiled. "Of course I am. Nothing matters more than my wife."

I'd believed every word.

But now, my mother-in-law Karen Cruz's suitcase sat open beside our bed. The honeymoon suite I'd booked had become a family room. And the itinerary filled with plans for "just the two of us" had turned into nothing more than just a cruel joke.

Karen leaned against the headboard, massaging her temples. "Oh, my back is killing me. Flying always leaves me sore. Zoe, would you mind going down to the front desk and asking if they have a hot water bottle?"

Justin got to his feet. "I'll go, Mom."

Karen stopped him. "Don't fuss over me. Let Zoe go. She's young—she'll be much faster."

I didn't move.

Justin frowned. "Zoe, didn't you hear what Mom just said?"

My stomach sank. "I was on that same seven-hour flight," I said quietly. "I'm exhausted too."

He froze. In the past, I rarely pushed back. I'd always rush to explain myself first. But for the first time, I realized I didn't want to explain anymore.

Karen chuckled. "Oh, forget it. It's your honeymoon, after all. Of course, Zoe comes first. I'm just an old woman. I can handle a little discomfort."

She turned away and coughed twice.

Justin's face darkened instantly. "Zoe, after everything my mom just said, what more do you want?"

I met his gaze. "What did I do?"

"She's family," he said, lowering his voice. "She raised me all by herself. Do you have any idea how hard that was? She's come all this way with us, so can't you show her a little kindness?"

A suffocating weight settled in my chest. Without another word, I picked up the room key and headed down to the front desk

"We don't have any hot water bottles," the receptionist said.

I ended up walking three blocks to a nearby convenience store before I finally found some heat packs and a cup of hot chocolate.

By the time I returned to the room, Karen was already lying in bed. Justin sat next to her, showing her photos on his phone.

Karen's eyes crinkled with a smile. "If only Hannah had come along. With a figure like hers, she'd look absolutely stunning in those honeymoon photos. You know she's always had a soft spot for you.

She added, "Sharon always says she likes how family-oriented you are. She'd have complete peace of mind if Hannah married you."

Justin chuckled. "Mom, that was years ago."

I stood frozen in the doorway. For a moment, I felt less like the bride and more like a hotel employee who'd wandered into the wrong room.

I set the hot chocolate on the table. "I'm back."

Justin finally looked up. "What took you so long?"

"It was a long walk," I replied.

Karen quickly pushed herself up. "Thank you for going through all that trouble, Zoe. Justin, thank your wife. From now on, we'll always put Zoe first."

She spoke as though I came first, yet the first thing she did was reach for the cup of hot chocolate.

Justin slipped the straw into the cup and held it to her lips. "Careful. It's still hot, Mom."

I said nothing.

Inside my suitcase were the matching pajamas and slippers I'd picked out for us, as well as the tie I'd planned to surprise Justin with on our walk along the beach. Now they lay forgotten at the bottom of the suitcase, mocking me.

Karen called for Justin twice more that night. The first time, she complained that the curtains weren't blocking enough light. The second, she said the blanket was too thin.

Justin turned to me, impatience written across his face. "You're not asleep, are you?"

I stared up at the ceiling. "No."

"Then could you get my mom another blanket? I have to drive tomorrow."

I looked at him for a long while before getting out of bed and placing an extra blanket beside Karen's bed.

Outside, the waves rolled in, crashing against the shore again and again. Inside the room, all I could hear were the hushed voices of Justin and his mother.

The sea breeze blew through the night.

I'd only just gotten married, and already, I was homesick.