Chapter 1

After my weight climbed to 198 pounds, my husband, Jason, and my son, Ethan, joined forces to throw me out of the house.

On the day of our divorce, Jason pulled out a prenup he'd sweet-talked me into signing years ago. It stated in black and white that if our marriage ended, I would voluntarily waive any claim to marital assets.

So I walked away with nothing. Not a single cent.

On my first day running my food cart, I fed a little boy named Caleb, who had barely eaten in two days and had survived on only a few sips of water.

The next day, his father, Nathan, came looking for me.

"My son will only eat your cooking. Come work as our private chef. Name your monthly salary."

I shook my head.

"No. Since you're so rich, how about paying the eight dollars your son owes me for his meal first?"

Nathan froze, checkbook in hand.

Later, Jason showed up with Ethan and tried to wreck my food cart.

"Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough? Get your ass home and start taking care of me and our son again."

The second the words left his mouth, he froze.

Right in front of my tiny food cart, his direct supervisor was bent over, picking through vegetables.

Meanwhile, the CEO of the entire Sterling Group let me order him around without complaint—and seemed far more concerned about upsetting me than anything else.

The moment he saw Jason, he stepped in front of me and said coldly,

"Who the hell are you, and why are you harassing my wife?"

...

After being thrown out of the house, I started selling lunch boxes from a food cart outside Jason's office building.

One evening, just as I was about to pack up, I noticed a little boy standing alone in the corner.

"Hungry?" I asked.

He didn't answer.

"Where are your parents?"

He shook his head.

I assumed he was a neglected kid with no one looking after him. My heart softened.

I reheated the last of my broth, added a handful of thin noodles, an egg, and some tender spinach, then made him a bowl of mild chicken noodle soup.

"Here. Eat. It's on me."

The boy froze for a few seconds.

Then he suddenly grabbed the spoon and started devouring the food.

He polished off the entire bowl in no time.

I took a napkin and wiped the broth from the corner of his mouth.

He didn't pull away.

Instead, he gently nuzzled his cheek against my palm.

A black Rolls-Royce suddenly screeched to a stop in front of the food cart.

A tall, stern-looking man stepped out.

His gaze swept over my little stand, and his expression changed instantly.

He yanked the boy behind him and glared at me.

"What did you do to my son?!"

The man grabbed my wrist.

Before I could reach for my spatula, Caleb suddenly rushed in front of me.

He spread his arms wide, shielding me with his little body.

Then he hunched his shoulders and bared his teeth at the man.

The man's steps faltered.

"Caleb, don't be afraid."

"Caleb didn't have a meltdown, Nathan."

The man standing beside them, Liam, stared at the empty bowl on the table and lowered his voice.

"And... he finished all the soup."

Nathan's head snapped toward the bowl.

"What did you say?"

"It's been almost two days. That's the first full meal Caleb has eaten."

Nathan took a step toward us.

Caleb immediately planted himself even more firmly in front of me.

I frowned and slapped Nathan's hand away.

"Stop scaring the kid."

Everything around us went silent.

"I'm Nathan Sterling, CEO of Sterling Group."

Nathan pulled a checkbook from his suit pocket.

"Come work at my house as a full-time private chef. A hundred thousand dollars a month. A detached house, a private driver, household staff—whatever benefits you want. Name them. All I ask is that you take care of Caleb."

He tore out a check and held it toward me.

I shook my head.

"No. Since you're that rich, pay the eight dollars your son owes me for his meal."

Nathan's hand stopped in midair.

"Do you have any idea how many people would kill for a chance to work for the Sterling family?"

I took off my apron and started putting away my pots.

"Then hire one of them."

My cart sat directly across from the entrance to Jason's company.

I wanted him to see me every single day.

I wanted him to see that the fat woman he'd thrown out hadn't starved to death.

In fact, her business was getting better by the day.

Nathan silently put his check away.

Liam quickly pulled out his phone.

"We'll pay by card."

I pointed to the card reader on the cart.

Once the payment went through, I put my phone away.

"All right. We're even."

I started pushing my cart away when I suddenly felt a tug on my clothes.

Caleb had grabbed hold of me.

No matter what, he wouldn't let go.

I looked down into his anxious eyes, and my heart instantly softened.

"Don't want me to leave?"

He pressed his lips together and nodded.

I crouched down and straightened his collar.

"I'll be back tomorrow. From now on, whenever you come see me, Willa will make sure you get three meals a day. Okay?"

Caleb stared at me for a long time.

Finally, he slowly let go.

I pushed my cart away.

Behind me, Liam lowered his voice.

"Nathan, ever since Caleb started having those episodes, he's never listened to anyone like this."

Nathan didn't answer.

He simply stared in the direction I'd disappeared, his expression unreadable.