Chapter 1

At the birthday party for my fifth month of pregnancy, Ethan James's girl buddy lost a game.

She glanced at me and grinned as she spilled it.

"Let me tell you all a secret. Ethan's stamina is unreal."

"This dog kept me up till the middle of the night. My knees went numb from kneeling, and my back still aches!"

For a second it was like being struck by lightning.

Seeing my face go white, she caught herself a beat too late and shut up, then laughed and explained.

"Oh, come on, don't get the wrong idea. Me and my puppy boy, it's purely physical. You've got that big belly, it's not convenient for you, so as his buddy I just help him blow off some steam, that's all."

"Relax, we used protection. Nothing's going to slip."

Something seemed to cross her mind, and she leaned toward my ear with a click of her tongue. "Though I've got to say, this little devil's got real skill. You're one lucky woman!"

Blood roared in my ears, and I slapped her across the face.

"You say all this to my face and you're not even ashamed?"

Before Cordelia Fox could answer, Ethan lost it first.

He snapped that I was petty and small-minded, pointed at the door, and told me to get out.

The moment I stepped through, the huge slam of the door came mixed with Cordelia's taunting voice hitting my eardrums.

"Puppy boy, for that one slap, Daddy's going to be riding you from now on!"

The whole crowd was betting I'd not only come crawling back with my tail between my legs to apologize, but get on my knees and beg Ethan to forgive me.

But they didn't know.

This rotten, reeking marriage, I didn't want it anymore.

...

Standing at the door, I could still hear the noise of them talking inside.

"How is Zoey Walker still this dramatic? A man having physical needs is totally normal. Pulling a stunt like that, what a damn buzzkill!"

"If that were my wife, I'd give her a couple of slaps and make her apologize to everyone!"

Ethan didn't say anything, but suddenly he opened the door.

He stood over me and slammed the cake in his hand straight into my face.

"Happy now that you made such a scene?"

"I told you it was just physical. Do you not understand plain words?"

"You get pregnant and think you're royalty. Either you apologize or you get lost. Today I'm going to cure you of that drama once and for all!"

Then he turned to meet Cordelia's amused eyes, and in a second he went gentle.

"Don't worry, Daddy's got your back on this. No one gets to bully you in front of me!"

Seeing that I had no intention of apologizing, he suddenly grabbed my phone and transferred every cent out of my account.

The text alert that my balance had hit zero came at the same moment the door slammed shut.

Someone inside was ribbing him.

"Ethan, it's still snowing out there. Throwing her out this cold, not even leaving her a dime, isn't that a little harsh? Aren't you scared Zoey files for divorce?"

"Divorce? No offense, but look at the figure she's got now. How's she any different from a sow?"

"Who'd want her if she left me? Me agreeing to have the wedding after the kid's born is basically charity."

"And she still makes trouble. Give her an inch and she takes a mile!"

"I've got to cure her of this for real!"

Cordelia burst out laughing. "Dumb puppy, Daddy's starting to feel sorry for you."

Ice-cold tears slid off my jaw. I couldn't listen anymore and ran for the outside.

Except my foot slipped, and with a thud my whole body went down at the doorway.

The pain tore through every limb, and I clamped both hands over my belly.

Inside, it went quiet for a moment.

Someone said I was still pregnant after all and suggested they come check on me. Ethan scoffed.

"With her hundred-and-sixty-pound tonnage, she'd bounce if she hit the floor. She won't die from a fall... son, drink up, Daddy's drinking you under the table tonight!"

Cordelia draped an arm over his shoulder with her drink. "Ooh, ooh, ooh, what's this, drink me under so you can have your way with my body? If you want to get on Daddy, just say so..."

The room dissolved into laughter.

I stayed slumped at the door a long time, then used the last twenty dollars on my payment-app balance to book an Uber to the hospital.

There was no money for tests, so I only scheduled the abortion for the next day.

The pity in the nurse's eyes cut me raw.

She handed me a few tissues. "Wipe your face."

I wiped my smeared cheeks and hair, then dabbed a little of the frosting off the tissue and put it in my mouth.

It was sweet.

I had never imagined my twenty-eighth birthday would go this badly.

Just like I'd never imagined that one day Ethan would become this.

The old him used to protect me no matter what.

But ever since Cordelia showed up, it was like he'd become a different person.

Coming out of the hospital, I walked a long way along the streetlights, shivering.

At one in the morning the sky started to snow, and Ethan sent a text. "Send me your location, I'll come get you."

I'd meant to have some backbone and not reply, but I didn't have a penny, nowhere to go, and when they threw me out I only had a thin jacket on.

Two hours after I sent the location, huddled and wretched, I finally saw Ethan's car pull up.

At some point a personalized seat decal for Cordelia had been stuck on the passenger seat.

Next to her profile photo was a line of text. "Reserved seat. Know your place, ok?"

"That dumb dog Cordelia got wasted and kept acting up, so I dropped her off first. That's why I'm slow."

Ethan tossed off a couple of lines of explanation like it was nothing, and when he saw I stayed silent, he turned back, caught the words on the seat decal, and let out a short laugh.

"She made a whole scene tonight saying I didn't set aside a room for her in the new place, said I wasn't loyal, gave me a headache, so I just let her stick that on."

"Just pretend you don't see it. It doesn't stop you from riding in the car."

I didn't take up his words. I stayed quiet and looked out the window.

The pressure inside the car sank lower and lower.

Passing a traffic light, Ethan stomped the car to a stop and drove his fist into the steering wheel.

"Cordelia and I had a bit to drink and things just got out of hand. I already told you it was purely physical. You made your scene, so how long are you going to keep that long face?"

I said, "You're overthinking it. I don't care anymore."

Ethan sneered. "You don't care but you sit here making yourself pathetic. Zoey, my patience has a limit. I'm warning you, don't push it when you've already been given a way out."