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?"

Dominic and Katherine took their places at the dining table, one on each side of Jenny. From a distance, they could have passed for a perfect little family of three.

Jenny, obedient as ever, brought a spoonful of minestrone to her lips. A heartbeat later, she spat it out and upended the bowl onto the table.

"Watch out!"

Dominic reacted first, throwing an arm across Katherine and Jenny. I sat opposite them, and the splash landed on the back of my hand, scorching it an angry red.

"It's too spicy!" Jenny cried, gasping for breath, tears streaking her cheeks as she insisted the minestrone burned.

Katherine pulled her close, checking her tongue before turning to me with a wounded look. "Valerie, do you resent that Jenny and I moved back in? If you have a problem, just say it. But please don't take it out on Jenny."

Dominic's expression darkened. His voice carried nothing but blame. "Valerie! Jenny can't handle spice. Why would you put in red pepper flakes?"

I met his scolding with a cold, level stare. How foolish of me, still holding out hope for him.

I had no way of knowing what Katherine and Jenny couldn't eat. He, however, was the one who had always loved his minestrone with a shake of red pepper flakes.

In the end, Jenny was the daughter of the woman he loved. His favoritism knew no bounds.

The burn on the back of my hand throbbed, and I hissed in pain.

Only then did Dominic notice. His tone softened slightly. "Val, I'll take Jenny to the hospital to get her checked. We'll talk when I get back."

That night, he took Katherine and Jenny out to a restaurant. Later, after they returned and he had tucked Jenny into bed, he suddenly remembered me.

He dabbed ointment over the blistered skin, eyes a little rueful. "I didn't mean to yell at you today, Val. I'm sorry. But Kat is my sister. Now that she's moved back in, try to look after them a bit more, as her sister-in-law."

Look after his dear "sister"? Unbelievable.

I didn't have the heart to call him out, so I only nodded. "Got it."

Only then did Dominic's expression soften into a small smile. He drew me into his arms, his breath warm against the back of my ear.

Testing the waters, I asked, "Dominic, what if we had a baby?"

It was the first time I'd ever said it out loud.

He sighed. After a long moment, his voice finally cut through the quiet. "Val, can we wait? The company's growing right now. I don't have extra time to take care of you."

I let out a thin, bitter laugh. It wasn't that he lacked time. He just didn't want a child with me.

After a few hollow exchanges, I fell silent.

…

The next day was supposed to be a day off, but Dominic slipped out early.

By the time I woke, Pauline said he'd already taken Katherine and Jenny to tour the clothing factory. I told her I was going to a friend's. Instead, I went to the OB-GYN for a pre-op exam.

When the doctor asked about the baby's father, I said, "He's busy with work. He doesn't have time to be with me."

Dominic had said he didn't want a child, so it was better not to have one.

Half an hour later, the procedure was over.

My face was drained of color. When the pain dulled to something manageable, I steadied myself against the wall and walked out of the hospital.

I arrived home to find that Dominic and Katherine were still gone.

I boxed up everything he'd ever given me, along with the children's clothes Noreen sent now and then. Then I signed the divorce papers and left them in plain sight on the boxes.

I lay down for a bit after the packing, still feeling weak.