Chapter 3

I swallowed the sourness flooding my mouth and said quietly,

"If my daughter and I leave, you three get to be one happy little family. Isn't that what you want?"

Edwin let out a scornful laugh, pulled out a folder, and tossed it at my feet.

"Before you go, read this carefully first."

I opened the file. If the relationship between the two parties breaks down, the woman must immediately vacate the residence held in the man's name upon dissolution of the relationship.

That was after his company went public. I'd come off my shift at the station and brought him a late-night meal.

He handed me an agreement and told me to sign, said he was transferring me ten percent of the company's shares.

I signed without even reading it. It never occurred to me that he'd been guarding against me from that very moment.

It meant that even if I left him and took our daughter, I'd have no money and nowhere to live.

Seeing me go silent, he shot me a look with faint distaste.

"If you've got nothing left to say, go to sleep. Don't stand around here wasting my time. I still have to read Ferdie his bedtime story."

I carried my daughter back to the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed, staring at nothing.

A little after two in the morning, her fever suddenly shot up to a hundred and three point six.

I rushed out of the bedroom with her in my arms and pounded on the guest room door.

"Edwin, Nina's burning up, please, take us to the hospital now!"

It was a long time before the door opened, just a crack. Edwin's face was dark.

"What's all this in the middle of the night? You've woken Ferdie up."

Matilda's lazy voice drifted over. "Ferdie ran fevers before too. Just give her some fever medicine and she'll be fine."

"Is there any need to make such a fuss? Who even knows if it's real or she's putting it on."

Edwin yawned at that and said dismissively,

"Can't you call a cab yourself? If I drive you to the hospital and back I won't get any sleep."

The door shut. Holding my daughter, I went cold all over.

The rideshare app showed no cars nearby. I wrapped her in my coat, grabbed an umbrella, and ran out the door.

The rain was pouring, and the cold had me shaking.

By the time I reached the ER I was soaked through.

The doctor examined her and frowned.

"An hour later and it would've turned into pneumonia. How can a parent be this careless?"

The patient in the next bed suddenly leaned over and looked at me.

"Lorna? Why are you in such a state?"

It was Yvonne Finch, my old boss from the station.

She quickly sat up and looked me over. "Why are you taking care of the baby all by yourself? Where's your husband?"

"I even went to your wedding. Your husband was so good to you. How could he let you carry your sick child out in the rain all alone?"

My eyes stung and swelled. I pretended to bend down and tuck in her blanket. "He... he's away on business."

Yvonne muttered, "What job could matter more than a wife and kid? Men really don't treasure anything once they've got it."

"Go clean yourself up. I'll watch the baby for you."

I nodded and walked into the restroom.

The person in the mirror was pale-faced, eyes red-rimmed, lips cracked and peeling.

I splashed water on my face, and the drops ran down mixed with tears.

By dawn her fever had broken completely. The doctor said they'd keep her under observation and she could be discharged by afternoon.

Before Yvonne left she pressed a thermos into my hands, filled with hot water she'd just gotten.

"Lorna, back when you resigned I tried to keep you. With your talent you'd be sitting in the station's top host spot by now."

"The station's planning to send someone to Crestport to launch a new news-interview program. If you're interested, call me anytime."

That evening I carried my daughter home, and the moment I pushed the door open I froze.

The wedding photo that had hung on the living room wall was thrown in the trash.

The nursery had been completely transformed. The crib was gone.

In its place stood a car-shaped bed a little boy would love, with Legos and toy cars scattered across the floor.

Matilda's voice came from behind me. "Ferdie and I are moving in. It's more comfortable over here."

"Edwin says you and your daughter will take the guest room from now on. You won't mind, will you?"