The next morning, laughter was already drifting up from the living room when I came downstairs.

Fabian and Athena sat at the breakfast table, eating.

Fabian was carefully picking out food and setting it on Athena's plate.

They sat close together, and Athena was in my chair.

The moment I appeared, the room went quiet for a beat.

Fabian's hand froze in midair.

Athena dabbed at her mouth and greeted me with a smile.

"Winona, you're up?"

"Come sit, have some breakfast."

She gestured to the seat across from her, as natural as if she were the woman of the house.

Fabian gave a cold snort.

"Athena was thinking of you. She dragged me out first thing to buy breakfast."

"And here you are, only coming down now."

Athena patted Fabian's arm, the gesture easy and familiar.

"Winona's pregnant!"

"It's only normal she'd sleep in a little."

Only then did Fabian go quiet, though the look he gave me stayed sour.

I couldn't be bothered to argue.

"I'll pass on breakfast."

The words were barely out when Athena's eyes went red.

Fabian's face darkened. He slammed his chopsticks down.

"Winona, how much longer are you going to keep this up?"

"Do we all have to walk on eggshells around your moods?"

"Athena went to all that trouble to buy you a good breakfast. What more do you want?"

I laughed.

Not one dish on that table was something I liked.

The porridge had already gone stone cold, and floating on top of it was cilantro. The thing I'm allergic to.

"Fabian, I'm allergic to cilantro."

"This is from the Sunnyside Corner Store, isn't it?"

"That is a real trek. Must be almost ten miles out there."

"And all of it is what Athena likes."

Fabian had nothing to say.

Athena's voice filled with hurt.

"Winona, I didn't do it on purpose."

"I just got back, and the Sunnyside place was all I could think of."

"Next time. Next time I'll buy what you like, I promise."

I didn't answer. I turned to leave.

Then Athena's voice came again from behind me.

"Winona."

"I just got back, and I don't have anywhere to stay."

"So Fabian had the room next to yours cleaned out for me."

"You don't mind, do you?"

I stopped dead and stared at Fabian, unable to believe it.

That was the nursery. The one we'd set up for the baby.

We'd started getting it ready when the first child was on the way.

After we lost that baby, the room was locked up.

It stayed locked until this pregnancy, when the door was finally opened again.

Everything inside it, the two of us had chosen piece by piece for our child.

I turned and hurried up the stairs, and pushed the door open.

Inside, every single thing that had belonged to the baby was gone.

There was a brand-new bedding set on the bed.

Athena's clothes lay tossed across it in a heap.

I rushed to the head of the bed.

In the nightstand was the protective charm I'd prayed for, for my baby.

So that in his next life he could be happy.

But the drawer was empty. There was nothing left.

Eyes burning red, I looked at Athena behind me.

"Where is it?"

Athena let out a little "oh."

"That little red pouch, you mean."

"I threw it out."

"It was kind of ugly, just sitting there in the way."

"Fabian said I could do whatever I wanted with this room."

I whipped around to Fabian.

"You know what that was!"

After we lost the baby, I couldn't sleep for nights on end.

It was Fabian who stayed with me, who climbed the mountain all night to be the first one at the temple, and prayed for that charm.

And now Athena had thrown it away.

Fabian remembered. The color drained from his face, but he still faced me down, refusing to back off.

"Winona, don't make a mountain out of nothing."

"It's just a charm."

"It was all so long ago. Enough is enough."

I looked at Fabian, so utterly indifferent,

and at Athena beside him, gloating, and I laughed until the tears ran down my face.

All I'd wanted was to leave quietly.

But now, I would make sure Fabian and Athena were left with nothing.

I stumbled out of the room.

When I passed Fabian, he reached out to steady me. I slapped his hand away.

Back in my own room, I changed my clothes and got ready to leave.

Fabian and Athena were already gone from the house.

I didn't give it a second thought. I drove straight to the company.

The Delgado Group was something Fabian and I had built together, from nothing.

I went straight to my office.

But my computer and my desk were already gone.

Athena was sitting behind the desk instead, leaning back in the chair, looking thoroughly pleased with herself.

When she saw me, she rose slowly. No alarm on her face at all, only the urge to show off.

"Why are you here?"

Her voice was dripping with satisfaction.

Her hand drifted lightly across the desk.

"Fabian didn't want anyone giving me a hard time, so he made me vice president outright."

"I hear this used to be your office?"

"Pity. It's mine now."

I lowered my eyes.

"Where are the things that were in this office?"

Athena's voice curled with disdain.

"That stuff was hideous. Not fit to use."

"Who knows where it got thrown out."

I looked at her for a long moment, then turned to go.

Athena stepped in front of me.

"Winona, I've been using this office for three months now."

"The moment I came back, Fabian gave me everything."

"Oh, right. Did you know?"

"Those two years, honestly, I did just fine."

"Fabian wired me money every single month."

"It just got dull being on my own, so I decided to come back. Fabian agreed the instant I said it."

"There's a big company meeting tomorrow. Fabian is going to introduce me to everyone himself."

"If you know what's good for you, you'll leave on your own."

She finished and stared at me, daring me to react.

So that was it.

There had never been any two years away. No punishment. No hardship.

Fabian had taken care of Athena the whole time.

The only one being deceived was me.

And now he wanted to hand everything I had at the company over to her too.

Just then Fabian came jogging over.

"Winona, why are you suddenly here at the company?"

He shot Athena a nervous glance, and only once he was sure she was fine did he turn to explain himself to me.

"Winona, now that Athena's in the company, she can stand on her own from here on. I won't have to look after her anymore."

"I promise you, we'll live our own life, just the two of us."

There was sweat on his forehead, and his eyes were wary as they watched me, terrified I'd make a scene in front of everyone.

I looked at that hypocritical face and gave a careless nod.

The Delgado Group wasn't going to exist much longer anyway.

Company, no company, I couldn't have cared less.

I turned and walked toward the storage room.

The company's core patents were registered under my name.

Everything it ran on depended on those patents.

I dug out my old computer and plugged in a flash drive.

Fabian. The things that were never yours.

I was taking them back.

...

The next day.

Fabian stood in my dressing room with Athena.

"Winona, you won't mind if I borrow your necklace, will you?"

Fabian looked at her.

"It's fine, Athena. Take whatever you like. Today you're the star."

He turned his head toward me.

"There's a company party today. Athena has to look the part."

"Don't be petty about it. Worst case, I'll just buy you another one."

I cut him off.

"Fine."

Fabian froze. The words came out of him before he could stop them.

"Winona, you really don't mind? That was the one I gave you when we got married..."

I dropped my gaze. It was almost funny.

"Whatever she wants to wear, she can take it herself."

Then I turned and walked out.

None of it was going to exist much longer anyway.

...

That night, the empty mansion held only me.

The System spoke.

"Host, it's time."

I nodded.

"Burn it."

"Let none of it be left here."

I watched my soul lift free of my body.

The whole mansion began to burn, starting from this room of mine.

The System spoke again.

"The passage is about to open. There's still a little time."

"I can take you to see the party."

"Do you want to go?"

I nodded.

At the company party, Athena stood there in a gown and jewels, radiant.

She had her arm looped through Fabian's, all smiles and laughter.

"Now, everyone, let me introduce our company's new vice president."

"Athena Lawrence!"

"I hope you'll all give her your full cooperation going forward."

Applause filled the room.

Fabian looked at Athena, dazzling and lovely, and yet it was my face that surfaced in his mind.

Winona's manner seemed to have changed.

She hadn't cared about the company. She'd even given up the necklace she treasured most.

He felt suddenly restless, an uneasiness rising in him from nowhere.

Then his assistant came rushing over, drenched in sweat.

"Mr. Delgado, it's bad, the company's stock is crashing!"

Fabian frowned.

"What's the panic?"

"The market fluctuates. That's normal."

But the assistant looked ready to weep.

"It's gone. Completely gone."

"The company's patents have been released to the public for free. Everyone knows them now!"

"Mr. Delgado, the company is finished!"

Fabian's face went ashen.

Only he and Winona knew the key to the company's patents.

What was she playing at?

To think he'd just been standing there worrying about her.

This time he was going to punish her properly. No more indulging her.

His face black, Fabian pulled out his phone.

Before he could dial, the phone rang first.

"Am I speaking with Mr. Fabian Delgado?"

"Your mansion at Evergreen Estates is on fire. A woman's body has been found inside."

"We've made an identification. It's your wife, Ms. Winona Sanders."