The Rose Withered in the Seventh Autumn
I'd been in a secret relationship with Nathan for six years. He said we couldn't go public because of his career.
So we always split the bill, and anniversary gifts never cost more than fifteen dollars.
The night before our anniversary, I asked him for the sixth time when he'd come home with me to meet my family. He turned me down again. "Ivy, I just think things are moving a little fast. Marriage is a lifetime commitment, after all."
So I went home alone, carrying the expensive cheese and wine he'd bought for my mom.
I pushed open the door and found the living room trashed.
My stepsister Chloe stood there with a smug grin on her face. "Mrs. Mercer, you owe my family a million dollars. You'v