Chapter 1

I stood behind the container and watched Seth Jerrell crouch beside a stack of cargo, sweat dampening the hair at his temples.

He tore off a piece of the dry flatbread and popped it into his mouth, eating it as though it were some gourmet delicacy.

Beside him, Helen McCorkle pushed a bowl of soup toward him. Her apron was still stained with grease.

"Seth, slow down," she said. "I'll make sure you get some meat with your lunch tomorrow."

He looked up at her. "Once I've saved enough money, I'll buy you a dress first. Then I'll help you open your own shop so you won't have to work this hard anymore."

Helen blushed and lowered her head, wiping the sweat from his forehead with her sleeve.

"I believe you."

I'd said those exact words once, too.

Seth reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Almost at the same time, a message appeared on mine.

"Honey, I'm out discussing a project. I spotted a blue diamond necklace at an auction. The quality is excellent, so I bought it for you."

Attached was a photo from the auction. The necklace was worth well over a million dollars.

After sending the message, he slipped his phone back into his pocket and went right back to eating his dry bread, the smile still lingering on his lips.

"Who was that?" Helen asked, glancing at him.

"A client," he replied airily. "She's asking about a shipment."

I tightened my grip around my phone until my nails dug into my palm.

I turned to leave, but my foot kicked an empty water bottle.

Helen glanced up and spotted me. She clearly didn't know who I was and hurried over with a shy smile.

"Excuse me, are you in charge around here? I've seen you standing here for a while."

My eyes fell on the grease stains on her apron and the grime settled beneath her fingernails. Those hands might one day rest in his, while he whispered the same sweet promises he'd once made to me.

"No," I said, smiling. "I'm just passing through. Who was the man you were with?"

She glanced back at Seth, her eyes shining with undisguised affection.

"That's my boyfriend. He's so good to me. He barely spends anything on himself because he's always trying to save up to buy me things. Men like that are so rare these days, don't you think?"

The look in her eyes reminded me painfully of the woman I'd been at 20.

"They are," I finally said after a brief silence. "You should treasure him."

By then, Seth had gathered up the sacks and walked over. The moment he saw me, he stopped short. Panic flickered in his eyes, but he quickly composed himself and didn't even slow down.

"Helen, let's go," he said, turning toward her. "We've got a shipment to load."

As he passed me, he lowered his voice and said, "I'll explain everything when we get home."

I caught the smell of sweat clinging to him. This was the same man who had slept beside me for ten years and told me he was going away on a week-long business trip.

The wind was strong enough to make my eyes sting as I walked out of the docks.

My phone buzzed again with another notification. This time, it was from the bank.

Seth had transferred one million dollars into my account along with a reference note that read, "Spend it however you like."

I stared at the huge sum, unable to ignore the irony. He probably thought that as long as he gave me enough money, I had no right to feel hurt.

I opened a flight-booking app and bought a ticket to Aldenburg.

"Seth, I'm done playing along with your games," I thought.