Chapter 2

On the third day of Samantha's turn as "Mrs. Glenn," the Glenn family had a dinner.

Ethan's mother, Roberta Brummer, sent me the address and told me to bring the antique bracelet that was passed down to the Glenn daughters-in-law.

She had put it on my wrist herself when Ethan and I got married.

Roberta had never approved of me. If Ethan hadn't insisted on marrying me, she never would've given me that bracelet.

I still remembered the first time I met his family at Glenn Manor. Right there at the dinner table, Roberta said I came from an ordinary family and wasn't good enough for theirs.

Ethan took my hand and said firmly, "She's the woman I love. No one else gets to decide who I marry."

Thinking about it now, the whole thing felt like a joke.

I tightened my grip on the box holding the bracelet. Since I was going there anyway, I might as well give it back for good.

By the time I got to Glenn Manor, Samantha was already sitting in my usual seat.

There wasn't even a place set for me. One of the staff had to bring over an extra chair and put it at the far end of the table.

Roberta smiled. "Samantha gets to be Mrs. Glenn for a few days, so she gets your place at dinner too. You're too young to get this upset over something so small, Ivy."

Ethan had even changed the menu for Samantha.

I had a severe peanut allergy, but even after seven years of marriage, the Glenns still served peanut desserts at family dinners.

At first, Ethan used to remind everyone about my allergy. Later, he just told me to be careful what I ate.

Samantha hated cilantro, so whenever she was there, the kitchen left it out completely. If even a little ended up in her soup, Ethan had them make her a new bowl.

"The smell makes her sick."

At last year's family dinner, Samantha sat in my seat for the first time.

I got up and left, and Ethan followed me out and pulled me into his arms. He told me the seat didn't mean anything and promised, "That spot will always be yours."

But this year, I didn't even have a seat next to him.

Before the family photo, Roberta looked at the bracelet on my wrist. "Take it off and let Samantha wear it for a few minutes. The photo will look better that way."

Samantha quickly waved a hand. "That wouldn't be right."

But she never actually pulled her hand away.

Before I could say anything, Ethan took my hand and removed the bracelet himself. It scraped painfully against my skin, but he only checked the bracelet to make sure it wasn't damaged.

Then he fastened it around Samantha's wrist.

"She'll give it back in seven days. It's just a bracelet. Don't make such a big deal out of it."

For the photo, Samantha stood beside Ethan while his parents sat in front. I ended up at the far edge, nearly out of the picture.

When the photographer asked everyone to move closer, Ethan deliberately put his hand on Samantha's waist and looked at me, waiting for a reaction.

Instead, I turned to Roberta. "She can keep the bracelet."

Roberta's face tightened. "It's just a game, Ivy. Did you really have to ruin everyone's mood and embarrass me in front of the family? You should know better."

Not long after, a relative who had no idea what was going on posted the family photo in the Glenn family group chat.

"Finally, the whole family's together this year."

The other relatives immediately started saying how good Ethan and Samantha looked together. Some even asked when they were getting married.

Roberta didn't correct anyone. She just reacted with a red heart.

I looked at the Glenn family group chat I'd been part of for seven years, then quietly left.

Ethan noticed almost immediately and messaged me. "You're really selling it this time. Let's see how long you can keep it up."

What he didn't realize was that I wasn't waiting for him to give in. I was cutting every tie I had to the Glenn family.