Chapter 2

With that, I hung up.

My fingers gripped the phone so hard they ached.

A moment later, it buzzed. Thinking it was Mom calling back, I looked down, but it was a text from my husband:

"Stuck at work. Running late. Go ahead and eat without me."

I texted back an "Okay."

Then I placed the phone facedown on the counter and kept chopping vegetables.

At six-thirty, the front door unlocked.

I was sitting at the dining table with two place settings in front of me, the food already cold.

Liam slipped off his shoes, saw me, and blinked. "Why haven't you eaten?"

"Waiting for you."

He walked over and pulled out the chair across from me, but he didn't touch his silverware. Looking at me, his expression turned complicated.

"Nicole, your mom called me."

My hand holding the water glass stiffened before I set it down.

"What did she say?"

"Said your dad needs surgery and asked for seven thousand dollars." Liam watched my face closely. "I told her you handle all our finances, so it wasn't my call. I told her to talk to you directly."

I stared at him, a sudden wave of irritation washing over me.

"Why did she call you? Back when we got married, they demanded that twenty-five thousand dollar 'gift,' swearing they’d never come knocking on our door again. And now she bypasses me to corner you?"

Liam didn't answer right away. He reached across the table and covered my hand with his.

His palm was warm, a sharp contrast to my icy fingers.

"Don't be upset," he murmured softly. "I know you don't want to give it to them, so don't. I made it clear to her that you make the financial decisions, not me."

I looked at him, and the anger slowly ebbed, leaving behind a bitter, hollow ache.

"Liam," I whispered, my voice cracking slightly. "It's not just about seven thousand dollars. It’s..."

"I know," he interrupted gently. "I know everything."

Back when we were dating, the first time I brought him home to meet my parents, my mom didn't even bother cooking a meal. She sent us out to a diner instead.

As we were leaving, she took Liam's hands and kept dropping hints: "Our family doesn't have much. Nicole's brother is younger, so you two will need to look after him down the road."

I had stood there, wishing the ground would swallow me whole.

When we got married, they demanded twenty-five thousand dollars, swearing that money was their retirement safety net so they wouldn't burden us later.

I knew every cent of it would go straight into Ethan's pocket, but I kept my mouth shut.

I gave it to them, treating it as the price of buying my freedom from their endless guilt trips.

When we bought our home and were ten thousand short on the down payment, I begged every friend I had rather than ask them for a single dime.

I worked late into the night for months, and Liam stayed up by my side without a word of complaint.

He knew I couldn't bear the humiliation of asking them.

During the six months I spent paying off maxed-out credit cards, counting pennies every day, he never judged me.

"Liam," I whispered suddenly, "I'm so sorry."

He looked taken aback. "Sorry for what?"

"For dragging you into my family's mess."