I was at the luxury department store to pick up my anniversary gift when I ran into my husband, Adam, and his little mistress. I stood there, my face a mask of indifference. Lynn, the girl, looked like she wanted the floor to swallow her whole. But Adam? Adam was livid. “Annabelle, are you seriously stalking me now?” He stepped in front of Lynn, shielding her as if I were a threat. “Lynn is a high-priority client. If you’re here to cause a scene and blow this deal, you’re losing your mind.” I kept my gaze lowered. I didn’t offer a single word of defense. Once Adam had finished his performance, he grabbed Lynn by the elbow and swept past me, leaving a trail of expensive cologne and unspoken insults in his wake. My phone chimed in my purse. It was a text from my mother-in-law, Catherine. A minute later, she called. “Anna, darling, I heard what just happened at the mall.” Her voice was smooth, like expensive silk over a blade. “Let’s do this: I’ll transfer another five percent of the mall’s holding shares into your name. Consider it a late anniversary present.” 1. In the beginning, Catherine couldn’t have cared less about Adam’s extracurricular activities. She didn’t particularly like me. When I first married into the Burton family, I was left entirely alone to deal with the revolving door of women Adam brought around. Back then, I had fire in my veins. I had a temper that could level a city. If Adam dared to bring someone home, I’d smash every heirloom in the house. I’d scream. I’d lunged at the other woman, nails out, heart breaking. More than once, Adam would look at me with cold, disgusted eyes and call me a “psycho.” Psycho. Eight years. We had gone from college sweethearts to this. That was his final evaluation of me. I thought it was hilarious in a tragic, twisted way. So, when did I stop fighting? I think it was when Lynn appeared. She wasn’t like the others. She didn’t have to scheme to get close to him. She didn’t have to fight me tooth and nail to stay by his side. She just had to exist, and she was the winner. I looked at her face—a face that was a seventy percent match for mine, only ten years younger. I watched Adam, usually so stoic, fuss over her like a lovestruck teenager. He was careful with her emotions. He was gentle. In an instant, all the strength left my body. The fight was over. The night I drafted the divorce papers, Adam had the audacity to bring Lynn to the family estate. He introduced her as his “assistant,” but Catherine picked up on the vibration between them immediately. Catherine might not have loved me, but she despised Lynn—a girl with no pedigree, no education, and no standing. She tore into Adam that night. The next morning, she officially recruited me into her camp. She sat me down, patted my hand, and urged me not to walk away. “Don’t let these parasites win, Anna,” she whispered. She laid out the logistics. The Burton and Burton-Augustine families were a powerhouse merger. We were peers. We were “old money.” We were childhood friends who knew each other’s secrets. I was hell-bent on leaving, so I turned her down. But that night, one of Adam’s other flings managed to sneak into my bedroom and climb into our marriage bed. I was exhausted, trying to deal with the intrusion, when I saw Adam standing in the doorway. He wasn’t angry. He was watching me with an expectant, almost bored expression. He was waiting for me to snap. He was waiting for me to go “psycho” again, to get my hands dirty and lose my dignity over him while he enjoyed the show. In that heartbeat, something inside me didn’t just break—it died. It withered away into ash. I picked up the phone and called Catherine. I told her I accepted her terms. Her promise was simple: for every time Adam disrespected our marriage, I would receive a significant financial “compensation.” I agreed. Life is just a series of days you have to get through. Without love, it doesn’t really matter who you’re spending them with. 2. I didn’t go home. Instead, I drove to a lounge where my old college roommates were having a girls’ night. It had been ages, but they were as warm as ever. Joanna, our old floor rep, clinked her glass against mine. “Anna, you’re always ‘too busy with family stuff.’ How did you manage to escape tonight?” I took a sip of my wine, my smile a perfect, practiced mask. “I decided it was time to start doing things I actually enjoy.” The group cheered. “Exactly!” Joanna added. “I’m telling you, Anna, you used to be ‘my husband this’ and ‘Adam that.’ We knew you guys were obsessed with each other, but it was getting a bit much.” Before she could finish, her phone slipped from her hand and clattered onto the table. The screen stayed lit. It was a TMZ-style headline. Adam was at a gala, and Lynn was on his arm. It was already trending on Twitter. I calmly pulled out my own phone, found the article, took a screenshot, and forwarded it to Catherine. Ten minutes later, I got a notification: Ten million dollars had been deposited into my account. I let out a small, sharp hum of satisfaction and put the phone away. I reached for a grape from the fruit platter, acting as if I hadn’t a care in the world. My friends were staring at me. Joanna cleared her throat. “Anna… you and Adam… are you okay?” I smiled. “Don’t worry about it. He takes very good care of me.” “But the news—” “Oh, that?” I waved a hand. “My mother-in-law will handle it. She’s very good at non-disclosure agreements. It’ll be scrubbed by morning.” Silence fell over the table. Joanna looked at me with a pained, complex expression. “Anna, are you really okay? I remember back in the dorms, the two of you were… it was legendary. He audited your classes for six months just to be near you. We used to joke that if you asked for the moon, he’d build a rocket to get it. How did it come to this?” I laughed, the sound light and hollow. “We were kids. We didn’t know anything.” I added silently to myself: And that was the twenty-year-old Adam. The thirty-year-old Adam is a ghost I don’t recognize. I was about to change the subject when a sharp, stabbing pain blossomed in my abdomen. Joanna gasped. “Anna! Blood… you’re bleeding!” My mind went blank. As they lifted me into the ambulance, Joanna’s frantic voice buzzed in my ear. “This isn’t a normal cycle, Anna. When was your last period?” I froze. I reflexively touched my stomach. It had been a long time. But it wasn’t the first time I’d been late. After I agreed to stay with Adam for the money, I couldn’t stomach the reality of my life. I had locked myself in my room for months, spiraling into a deep clinical depression. My body had shut down. I’d missed three months before because of the stress. I thought this was just more of the same. I thought I just needed to ask Catherine for another payout to feel better… After the examination, Joanna held the chart, her voice trembling. “You’re twelve weeks pregnant. You’re severely malnourished. We need to get you on a drip immediately.” She looked at me, her eyes searching. “Should I call Adam?” I shook my head. I called Catherine instead. Catherine sounded ecstatic. She told me I had secured the Burton legacy. She asked what I wanted. I asked for the deed to the Westside harbor plot—the most valuable land in the city. She agreed without a second thought. When I hung up, Joanna was staring at me, her eyes rimmed with red. “Anna… what have you become?” 3. I patted her hand, trying to soothe her. “It’s okay. That land is worth a fortune.” “But—” “And my mother’s grave is there,” I whispered. “If I own the land, I can protect her. No one can move her to make room for a skyscraper now.” Joanna bit her lip and turned away, unable to look at my smile. The doctor was still droning on about prenatal vitamins and bed rest, but I wasn’t listening. I looked at the ultrasound—the tiny, flickering image of a life taking shape. I thought of my own mother, who died in the delivery room giving birth to me. I thought of when I first married Adam, and Catherine was dropping hints about grandchildren every five minutes. Adam had stood up to her then. He’d told her, “Mom, it’s Anna’s body. If she wants kids, we have them. If she doesn’t, we don’t. Period. If you’re that desperate for a legacy, I’ll take you to an orphanage tomorrow and you can pick one.” Catherine hadn’t spoken to him for three days. But that was the moment I’d decided I did want his children. I thought that because my mother died alone, if I had Adam, even if I died on that table, at least someone would weep for me. My chest felt tight, a dull ache spreading through my ribs. I set the ultrasound photo aside. When I got home, the house was a cavern of silence. I turned on the TV just to fill the void. The local news was showing paparazzi shots of Adam and Lynn leaving a private club. Just then, the front door opened. Adam walked in. He seemed to have cooled off since the mall. He actually looked like he wanted to be civil. “You’re back? Did you like the gift?” He was talking about the anniversary jewelry from the store. I’d handed it back to the salesclerk hours ago. “Yes. It was lovely.” Adam’s eyes flickered to the TV. A flicker of genuine embarrassment crossed his face. He clicked it off and, for the first time in months, offered an explanation. “Lynn wasn’t feeling well. I took her to the clinic for a check-up.” “I see.” Adam stood there, lingering. “You’re wearing makeup.” “I went out with the girls.” “Right.” He went quiet, his eyes lingering on my face for a beat too long before he looked away. The silence stretched between us, heavy and awkward. I was exhausted. I turned to head upstairs. “Annabelle.” “Yes?” “You… you look beautiful tonight.” I paused. What new game was this? “Thank you,” I said, and kept walking. 4. I expected Adam to be gone by morning, as usual. To my surprise, he was sitting in the living room when I came downstairs. He looked up at me. I knew that look. It was the look he gave me right before he asked for something he knew I wouldn’t want to give. Sure enough, he spoke. “Lynn is pregnant.” I took a slow sip of my water. “And?” “Your father… he’s still considered the top specialist in high-risk obstetrics, isn’t he? I want to get Lynn an appointment with him.” My father. A world-renowned doctor. A man who watched my mother bleed out on a delivery table while he was in a stairwell having an affair with a nurse. I didn’t find out until I was twenty. When he confessed, I wanted to rip his oxygen mask off his face right there in his hospital bed. But he was my father. I couldn’t do it. I hadn’t spoken to him in nearly a decade. I’d even found my own doctor for my prenatal care. Adam knew all of this. And yet, he was asking me to bow my head to that man for the sake of his mistress? I let out a cold, sharp laugh. “Does Lynn not have a phone? She can call his office like everyone else.” Adam shifted uncomfortably. “She doesn’t have your connections. Your father is the best. It’s a simple favor.” “It’s not simple.” “Look, you haven’t talked to him in years. This is a good excuse to mend fences. He’s getting older, Anna.” Mend fences. He said it so casually, as if my father and I had just had a minor spat over dinner. I slammed my glass onto the counter. “I’m not calling him. The city hospital is full of experts. If she’s that worried, hire a private team.” Adam’s brow furrowed. “What is wrong with you lately? Lynn was the one who suggested it. She said parents get lonely, that you should check in on him. She was trying to do something nice for your family—” He cut himself off, rubbing his temples. “Forget it. I shouldn’t have asked. I know which nursing home he’s in. If you won’t be a daughter to him, I’ll go myself.” He grabbed his keys. “I’ve never met anyone as cold-hearted as you, Annabelle.” The door slammed. I stood in the kitchen, a sharp pain blooming in my stomach from the sheer stress of it. 5. I reported the incident to Catherine. Twenty million dollars hit my account within the hour. I stared at the number, but I felt nothing. No joy, no triumph. Just a hollow, ringing silence. I drove out to the Westside plot. My mother’s grave was solitary, covered in a thick layer of dust. For thirty years, my father hadn’t visited her once. For the first fifteen years, he was too busy. For the next fifteen, he realized how much he’d lost, but by then, he was too sick to leave his bed. He’d hold my hand and cry about how much he loved her, how much he regretted everything. I’d listen with a stone-cold heart. Regret is a luxury for the living. I knelt by the headstone for a long time until my phone rang. It was my father. His voice sounded older, more fragile, but it was laced with a rare spark of anger. “Is that Burton boy out of his mind?!” I stared at the grave. “Why? Don’t you understand him?” I whispered. “You did the exact same thing to Mom.” There was a long silence on the other end. When he spoke again, his voice was small. “Anna… I didn’t mean… I’m worried about you.” “Don’t be,” I said flatly. “Adam came to see you, and in exchange, his mother gave me twenty million dollars. I’m pregnant, I’ve secured the land Mom is buried on, and I’m doing just fine. I’m satisfied.” The silence stretched for a full minute. “Are you happy, Anna?” “Money is better than happiness.” Another long pause. I expected him to defend Adam, to sympathize with another man caught between two worlds. Instead, his voice broke. “Sweetheart… in all your years, I never wanted you to use yourself as currency. I supported your marriage because I thought you actually loved him. I know I failed as a father, but I can’t watch you destroy your soul like this.” “Stop,” I whispered. “Please. Don’t punish me—or a man who doesn’t love you—by throwing your life away. If you don’t love him anymore, leave. As for the baby… it’s your choice. But please, make that choice for you, not for a transaction.” After we hung up, his words echoed in the cold air. For the first time, my mind was a chaotic mess. I leaned against the headstone and curled into myself. “Mom… what do I do?” Do I cut ties with Adam and walk away with the money? What about the baby? Could I really do this alone? Before I could find an answer, Adam made the decision for me. My phone rang. “Annabelle, can you come down to the courthouse?” I frowned. “What now?” “Lynn’s parents found out she’s pregnant,” he said, his voice frantic. “They’re threatening to disown her. We need to get a quick divorce—just on paper. Once I get her parents settled and the dust clears, we’ll remarry. It’s just a piece of paper, Anna. It doesn’t change us. We’re in this for life, right?” I opened my mouth to speak, but a sharp, jagged pain tore through my lower back.
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