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.

That afternoon, I drifted in and out of sleep, faintly aware of someone moving closer. When I finally forced my eyes open, a familiar face swam into focus.

Dominic lay beside me. He touched my forehead. Heat flared under his palm, and worry tightened his features.

"You're burning up, Val," he said. "Let me take you to the hospital, okay?"

On any other day, this kind of misery would've sent me straight into his arms. But the scent clinging to him—the same soap Katherine used—turned my stomach. I rolled away, burrowing under the covers.

"I'm fine. It's probably just a cold. Going to the hospital isn't necessary."

Dominic missed how fed up I was. His voice softened, threaded with hurt. "How could it not be necessary? It kills me to see you sick. Please, just listen to me."

My head was foggy. All I wanted was to rest.

I reached for an easy excuse. "I already took some medicine. I'll be fine after a nap."

Dominic didn't push further and kissed my temple. "Alright, get some sleep. I'll make chicken noodle soup. Have some when you wake up."

…

I didn't stir again until thunder cracked, and Dominic's name slipped from my lips on instinct. Only then did I realize more than an hour had passed, and he still wasn't done with the soup.

I threw on some clothes and stepped into the hall, about to head downstairs, when a wet, suggestive sound drifted out of the next room.

I stopped in the doorway. Katherine's back was the first thing I saw, her clothes half off. On the bed, Dominic had his arms around her, trying to soothe her.

"I've missed you all these years, Nick. Did you miss me?"

He was slightly out of breath, his eyes dark with desire. He couldn't seem to help himself as he leaned in to kiss her.

"I've missed you, too, Kat."

My tears spilled at once. Anger tightened around my chest until it hurt. I never thought they'd be this impatient, already in bed while I was still under the same roof.

I didn't stay a second longer. I grabbed my suitcase and left.

…

I tracked down Mr. Lane, the mailman who'd delivered my admission letter seven years ago. I hadn't expected him to remember.

"That was Belcaster University's admission letter. That's why I remember it!" he exclaimed. "The woman who signed for it had a forehead scar and half a thumb missing."

I knew then it had been Katherine. Those wounds were from when she'd been sent to live in a small town.

Hoping to keep a bit of reflected glory, Mr. Lane had held on to the signed envelope. Katherine had copied my signature, and it was an 80% match.

I told him I wanted to buy the delivery receipt. After I explained why, he just handed it over without taking a dime.

I thanked him, then took it to a copy shop and made a photocopy. I sent the original and my letter reporting forgery to Belcaster University, and had the paperboy drop the copy at the Frizzell residence.

After that, I boarded a train with my suitcase and headed home.

…

Dominic spent the night in Katherine's room.

At dawn, a nightmare snapped him awake. He remembered the soup he hadn't finished cooking and decided to grab a few ingredients. He would wait for me to wake and have some, then check if I was any better.

Just then, the door burst open.

With Pauline supporting her, Noreen came in, clutching a letter. "Dominic! Val… Valerie found out about the admission letter!"