Chapter 1

I didn’t hesitate. I sent Desmond Connerty the money—exactly 57 dollars, not a penny more, not a penny less.

The second he got it, he fired back an “I love you” sticker.

Without changing my expression, I tucked my phone into my pocket and rested my head against the bus window.

Outside, the streets were bright and crowded with people going about their lives.

But inside, I just felt colder and colder.

By the time night fell, I finally made it home—exhausted, hungry, and frozen from the ride.

The moment I opened the door, the warm, rich smell of food hit me.

In the dining room, Desmond and his cousin Janet Connerty were eating steak off my gold-trimmed dinner plates and drinking my treasured bottle of Lafite.

The second Janet saw me, she quickly grabbed a plate of burnt stir-fried vegetables and said sweetly,

“Amy, come try the dish I made for you! I know you can’t handle greasy food while you’re pregnant, so I made you something light.”

Desmond immediately chimed in, all gentle and caring, “Yeah, come on, try it. Janet made this herself. Even I don’t get treated like this.”

I ignored her completely and didn’t bother hiding my eye roll.

Then I noticed the shattered pieces of embossed porcelain scattered next to the sink.

One look and my heart stopped.

Ignoring my eight-month pregnant belly, I rushed over to see what had happened.

The second Janet saw where I was looking, her face went pale. She hurried to explain, “Amy, I’m so sorry! I just thought it was so pretty and wanted to use it to serve you. I never meant to break it.”

That was my handcrafted, gold-inlaid embossed porcelain plate—a collector’s item worth over a thousand dollars.

And she just smashed it like that?

My heart sank looking at the pieces.

But Desmond immediately stepped in front of her and snapped at me, “It’s just a plate! Do you really have to make such a big scene over it? Janet almost burned her precious hair cooking for you, and that’s all you care about?”

Janet conveniently ducked behind him.

Watching the way he guarded her like she was something precious, I just laughed.

“You left your pregnant wife alone at the doctor’s office and made me take the bus home in the cold, hungry and exhausted.

"You two stayed here eating steak and drinking wine, and the only thing you left me was a plate of burned vegetables.

“And now you’ve broken my collectible worth over a thousand dollars. How exactly do you expect me to react?”

Desmond froze. Clearly, he had no idea the plate was worth that much.

Peeking out from behind him, Janet spoke in a shaky voice. "Amy, please don't get upset—you'll hurt yourself and the baby. I had no idea it was so expensive. I'll get a job tomorrow and pay you back."

As she spoke, tears started streaming down her face like she was the one who'd been wronged.

That was all it took for Desmond to soften. He put his arm around her shoulder, shot me a dirty look, and snapped, "That's enough. She's still in college. How's she supposed to actually go out and work? Remember last time she tried washing dishes and hurt her hands? Don't be unreasonable."

Oh, I remembered.

Last time she got a part-time job, she washed exactly two plates before "spraining" her wrist.

I was the one who covered her medical bills.

Watching the two of them like that made me sick to my stomach.

I couldn't take another second of it.

Without a word, I turned and went back to my room, slamming the door behind me.

Almost instantly, Janet's loud crying started up from the other side.

"Desmond, is Amy going to hate me forever? I really didn't mean to. I was only trying to cook her a meal."

Then came Desmond's soft, soothing voice.

"Don't cry, Janet. I'm here for you. I'll pay for it. Amy is just in a bad mood because of the pregnancy. You are loved by everyone. No normal person could ever dislike you."

Then his voice suddenly got louder.

"Unless that thing isn't human!"

A second later, my phone buzzed again.

Desmond had sent me 500 dollars.

Underneath it, a message: [Janet meant well. This is my share—since we're splitting everything fifty-fifty. Take the money and buy yourself a new one.]

A fresh wave of nausea hit me, and I leaned over to throw up in the trash can.

Outside the door, Janet actually had the nerve to knock on my bedroom door.

"Amy, this is all my fault. But you're pregnant—you can't just not eat anything. Please come out and have a little something."

Just thinking about that plate of burnt vegetables made me feel even worse.

Fighting back the nausea, I shouted, "I'm not eating!"

Immediately, Desmond's voice boomed from the other side. "Eat or not, who cares? You're seriously pushing your luck!"

Then, his voice dropped back down to that soft, coaxing tone as he turned to Janet. "Come on, Janet. Just ignore her. Let her stay in there and sulk. Your cooking is delicious. Some people just don't know how to appreciate kindness."

Lying on the bed, listening to them through the door, I felt my heart turn even colder.

Desmond and I grew up together.

His family was always broke, and I used my own allowance to buy him better food more times than I could count.

When his family couldn't afford his college tuition, he actually got down on his knees in front of me and swore he'd treat me right for the rest of my life if I would just help pay for school.

And now? Less than a year into our marriage, he'd turned into someone I barely recognized.