Chapter 1

In my third year of being Ethan Cross's substitute wife, my bank account was draining faster than ever.

To make matters worse, I found out I was pregnant.

That was the final straw. I decided to get a divorce.

Whoever wants to be his little stand-in puppet can have him!

When I reached his office door, I overheard him talking to his best friend.

"Is three hundred thousand a month really not enough for a wife?"

His friend sounded completely shocked.

"She thinks three hundred grand is too little?"

"Bro, is she keeping a side piece or something?"

The office fell dead silent. Ethan's face darkened.

"Last night she begged for money, so I had another hundred thousand wired to her."

"And this morning? She had my secretary pass along a divorce request. Said if I can't afford to take care of her, I shouldn't bother."

Standing outside the door, I was trembling with rage.

Looking down at my slightly swollen belly, I couldn't hold it back anymore. I kicked the door open and stormed in.

Before he could even process what was happening, I slapped him across the face.

"Ethan Cross, just how many substitute wives do you have?"

His eyes turned bloodshot, his jaw tight as he ground out, "Only you..."

I froze, then threw my debit card right into his face.

"Then why the hell am I only getting eighty dollars a month?!"

After my period was four weeks late, I gritted my teeth and bought the cheapest pregnancy test at the pharmacy.

Staring at the two bold pink lines, my vision went black.

I snapped a picture and sent it to my best friend, Chloe, on SnapChat.

"Chloe, what do I do? I think I'm pregnant."

Chloe replied in seconds.

"That absolute scumbag Ethan! He never gives you a dime, but he sure knows how to leave you with a mess!"

After cursing Ethan out, she turned her wrath on me.

"Are you seriously still going to stick around as his dead ex's doppelganger?"

I stared at the screen, silent for a long time.

He only kept me around because I looked like the woman he could never let go of. I was just her shadow.

I knew from day one that I was a replacement.

Yet, I had stayed.

I stayed for three whole years.

Chloe's tone finally softened.

"Honestly though, he only gives you eighty bucks a month. How are you even alive right now?"

I offered a bitter smile.

"I budget."

Eighty dollars a month barely covered cheap bread, let alone real food.

Now there was a baby inside me.

I couldn't even begin to imagine how Ethan would react when he found out.

Taking what little pocket change I had left, I bought a discounted carton of milk and a generic loaf of bread.

Leaning against the cold brick wall outside the grocery store, I took a bite, then a sip.

A wave of bitter irony washed over me.

Sure, I was just a stand-in, but on paper, I was the wife of the billionaire CEO of Cross Enterprises.

I lived in a ten-million-dollar penthouse, yet I had to hunt for clearance stickers just to survive.

Swallowing the last dry bite of bread, I dialed Ethan's number.

As expected, Bianca answered.

She was Ethan's executive secretary, and the one in charge of my living allowance.

"Mrs. Cross, if I recall correctly, your allowance for this month was already transferred."

I forced myself to sound steady, hiding the tremor in my voice.

"I'm pregnant."

"Tell Ethan that eighty dollars isn't going to cut it this month."

There was a pause on the other end, followed by a cold, condescending scoff.

"Last time your dog went to the vet, we already made an exception and gave you an extra ten dollars."

"And now you're making up a pregnancy?"

"Mr. Cross works hard for his money. If you don't have enough, learn to live within your means. Stop acting like a parasite."

She hung up before I could say another word.

Back then, Ethan had looked into my eyes and promised he would take care of me. He told me to stay home and live like a spoiled billionaire's wife.

Yet eighty bucks a month was a cruel joke.

Later, I tried working part-time at a local pet shelter to make some spare cash.

When Ethan found out, he bought the entire shelter on the spot.

"You're Mrs. Cross now. Are you that desperate for pocket change?"

He had all the money in the world, yet he never gave me an extra penny.

Chloe's question flashed in my mind again:

"Are you keeping the baby?"

Truth was, I didn't know.

Maybe once Ethan knew the truth, I would finally have my answer.