The day I fail to get into university, my childhood sweetheart breaks off our engagement.

Then he delivers the next blow. He's marrying my best friend, Katherine Schaffer, who actually got into a university. They've even already registered their marriage.

Crushed by the double betrayal, I leave home to clear my head, only to fall into the hands of human traffickers.

Katherine's stepbrother, Dominic Frizzell, spends his entire fortune rescuing me. Even after I lose a hand, he proposes.

After we marry, he spoils me in every way. Sometimes it feels like he practically worships me.

That goes on for seven years, until one day, I overhear my mother-in-law lecturing him.

"You abducted Valerie and cut off her hand just so Katherine could take her place at the university. And to make sure Valerie couldn't get revenge, you even married her. You've done more than enough for Katherine."

Dominic's voice holds a quiet melancholy. "It's still not enough. Kat always deserves the best."

I freeze behind the door, stunned by the truth.

It turns out that all the suffering and every supposed act of salvation were simply Dominic using me.

I still had the pregnancy test tucked in my bag.

I'd been looking forward to bringing a meal to my mother-in-law, Noreen Anderson, and sharing the news with my husband, Dominic Frizzell. But what I overheard caught me off guard.

The conversation drifting from the hospital room hit like a blast of winter air—cold, sharp, and merciless. All the joy I'd felt when I found out I was pregnant vanished in an instant.

Before I could even register what they were saying, Noreen pressed on with her warning.

"Look, divorced or not, Katherine's still your stepsister! When she gets back from Belcaster, you'd better drop whatever schemes you have going. If your stepdad finds out, there's no way he's letting it slide!"

She continued, "Right now, you should be thinking about having a kid with Valerie. That's what really matters!"

Dominic stayed silent.

Noreen, clearly frustrated, let out a sharp cough.

A few minutes later, Dominic finally spoke, his tone hesitant. It was almost like he was giving in.

"Don't worry. I'll keep my word. I only see Kat as a sister. But I'm not ready for kids yet. We'll talk about it later."

Before his words had even settled, his younger sister, Lucy Frizzell, jumped in. "Mom, don't pressure Nick. Who'd want their kid to have a disabled mother? I never liked Nick marrying Valerie anyway! They're completely wrong for each other!"

Dominic shot back instantly. "Lucy, you don't get to talk about Val like that!"

Still bristling from the scolding, Lucy muttered, "I'm just telling the truth! How could some housewife like Valerie ever compare to Kat?

"If Dad hadn't forced you two apart back then, Kat would already be my sister-in-law! And your future kid would have a mom who's a professor!"

Her words lit a spark of anger in Dominic's eyes. "That's enough!" he barked. "Valerie is your sister-in-law. Show her some respect."

Lucy shrank back immediately, silenced by his anger.

It seemed like the whole Frizzell family knew the truth, except me. I was the only one left in the dark.

Anger coursed through me, making my whole body tremble. I could barely keep the thermos steady in my hands.

Footsteps echoed from the other side of the door, and I instinctively stepped away. Distracted, I collided head-on with a nurse wheeling a medicine cart.

Before I could steady myself, a pair of hands pulled me into an embrace I knew all too well.

Dominic scanned me anxiously, checking for any sign of injury. "Val, are you okay? It's freezing out. Why are you even at the hospital?"

"I'm fine," I replied quickly. "I made some bone broth. Noreen loves it, so I thought I'd bring her some."

"Next time, let the maid bring it over. I’d feel terrible if you got sick."

Dominic took the thermos from my hands and pressed his lips to my forehead. A gesture that usually felt warm and tender now rang completely hollow.

When Noreen saw me, she clasped my hand and launched into her usual barrage. "Val, when are you two planning on having kids? When I was your age, Dominic was already in elementary school."

I poured the broth from the thermos and handed her the bowl, hesitating over whether I should tell her I was already pregnant.

But Dominic spoke before I could. "Mom, stop pressuring Val. We have our own plans. If you want to be around a kid, you can always spend time with Jenny."

Jenny Summer was Katherine's daughter. Katherine was supposedly bringing her home for Christmas.

At the mention of her name, Noreen's smile froze. She took a sip of broth and stayed silent.

I shoved aside the thought of telling them I was pregnant and used the excuse of going to the restroom to slip away.

…

I stepped out of the stall to wash my hands when Lucy suddenly appeared, wearing a cold, mocking smile.

"I saw someone lingering outside the room earlier. I knew it had to be you, eavesdropping! Now you finally see it, don't you? Nick doesn't love you at all. That must feel so humiliating, Valerie. If I were you, I'd leave this family before it's too late!"

The cold water bit at my skin, but it was nothing compared to the icy grip tightening around my heart.

I remembered how, when Dominic rescued me, he hadn't cared that I had lost a hand. He had knelt before me, right in front of Noreen, and insisted on marrying me despite the immense pressure.

And for seven years after we wed, he treated me with meticulous care.

No matter how late work kept him, he still came home for dinner. Every share in his factory was in my name. He didn't even want children, fearing the pain childbirth might bring me.

Everyone claimed Dominic loved me, that he was the best man alive.

But the truth was cruel. He only ever loved his so-called sister, Katherine. He made me live a lie, reducing me to a mere joke for the Frizzells.

Lucy leaned close, her taunts relentless. "Valerie, are you deaf? Can't you hear me?"

I shook the water from my hands, refusing to rise to her bait. I had made up my mind. I was leaving Dominic.

Seeing me ignore her, Lucy grew furious. Her voice rose in anger. "Just you wait, Valerie! Kat's coming back soon. When that happens, Nick will throw you out for good!"

…

When I stepped out of the hospital, Dominic was already waiting at the entrance, ready to drive me home.

"Kat and Jenny are coming back tomorrow. Why don’t we pick out a small gift to welcome them back?" he asked casually when we passed the department store. It was as if the thought had just crossed his mind.

However, I caught the flicker of joy in his eyes and felt a sharp pang of irony twist in my chest. I pressed my lips together to hold back the sting threatening to rise, stared out the window, and nodded.

After he parked the car, Dominic led me straight into the jewelry store.

A sales associate greeted us warmly and began showing me the latest gold rings. "Ma'am, this is our latest couple's collection, they’re designed for couples like you!"

She reached to let me try one on, then froze when she noticed the severe, irreversible damage to my hand.

Her smile turned awkward, and she quickly shifted the subject. "Of course, we also have plenty of new necklaces…"

I wasn't interested in any of it, so I waved her off.

I followed Dominic, keeping my eyes on him as he browsed.

Before long, Mr. Felton, the bank manager, spotted him and came over to greet him.

"Dominic, I heard from Callum that you haven't been wiring money to that account in Belcaster this month. Is it because your sweetheart is coming back? When are you going to introduce her to me?"

Mr. Felton's tone carried the teasing lilt friends often used with each other.

Dominic stiffened at his words.

It wasn't until Mr. Felton sensed the change in the air that he noticed me standing behind Dominic.

Realizing his blunder, he scrambled for a way out. "Oh, Valerie's here too, huh? Well, my wife's calling. You two enjoy your shopping."

A flicker of guilt crossed Dominic's face. "Don't get the wrong idea, Val," he said. "It's my stepdad. He was worried Kat might be short on cash in Belcaster, so he asked me to send it."

"I get it," I replied. "I didn't take it the wrong way."

He studied me. Once he saw I wasn't angry, he he finally relaxed a little.

Just then, the clothing factory's assistant rushed over to tell him a few business partners had arrived.

Dominic drove me home and headed straight back to the factory to meet them.

I gave Pauline Woods, our maid, the dinner plan and went to the bedroom. On the way, I picked up the daily newspaper he subscribed to and brought it into the study.

After I set it down, I noticed the drawer that was usually locked sitting slightly ajar. I pulled it open and found a stack of neatly clipped newspaper pieces.

They were every piece Katherine had ever published as a professor. Dominic had saved each one with painstaking care.

There were remittance slips too. My hands shook as I flipped through them. They started at 500 dollars, then 5,000 dollars, and eventually exceeded 10,000 dollars.

Dominic had claimed he had blown his savings to save me. In truth, he had wired every last dollar to Katherine.

While he worried over her tuition, I had lived on bread and counted pennies. To ease his burden, I had taken on piecework—even with one hand gone—just to keep the household afloat.

I had even pawned the emerald pendant my father left me to help fund his startup. By the time I reached the last slip, my heart had gone cold.

I stumbled out of the study, hollowed out, when my phone rang.

It was Mom.

Hearing how off I sounded, she was immediately worried. "What's wrong, Val? Did Dominic give you a hard time? If he's mistreating you, tell me. I'll book a ticket right now and set him straight!"

I tried to sound calm, but the catch in my voice gave me away. "I'm fine, Mom. I just got homesick. Will you come get me in seven days?"

Seven days were all I needed to part with the past seven years.

Mom didn't press. She simply agreed and said she'd be waiting for me to come home.

I'd barely hung up when the front door swung open. Dominic walked in with a little girl in his arms.

A bright, sugary voice came right behind him. "Long time no see, Sister Valerie."

It was Katherine, wearing the latest dress from Dominic's clothing factory. After a breezy hello, she handed her bag to Pauline without a second thought.

"Jenny, say hi to your aunt."

Jenny, pressed against Dominic's chest, whispered shyly, "Hi, Aunt Valerie."

Then she looked at him. "Daddy, I'm starving. Can we eat now?"

My breath hitched at the way she called him "Daddy".

Unease crossed Dominic's face. He looked away but left it uncorrected.

Katherine stepped in, pretending to scold as she pinched Jenny's cheek. "Jenny, how many times have I told you? It's Uncle Dominic."

"No!" Jenny cried. "I want him to be my dad."

Dominic's eyes were tender as he tried to cheer her out of her fit.

I chuckled softly. I wasn't going to fight with a child.

"Hi, Jenny. Now that you're back, why don't we have dinner first?"