Chapter 2

2

Ford didn't agree. He gave me a long, dark look.

"When your dad cheated, he brought the other woman to your door to demand a divorce. I'm not shoving her in your face. Why can't you handle this?"

"You will always be Mrs. Jameson. Think about that before you throw it away."

He grabbed his coat and slammed the door behind him. I looked at the red welts on my wrist and finally let the tears fall.

When I was eighteen, my father―the perfect husband in everyone's eyes―had an affair. The woman showed up at our house with a pregnant belly, demanding my mom move out.

My father, who used to treat my mom like a queen, stood by that woman. The love in his eyes had turned to pure disgust.

The shock was too much. My mom refused to divorce him, claiming that as long as they were married, the other woman was just a homewrecker.

My dad and his mistress came over to harass us constantly. But my mother wouldn't budge.

To the neighbors, we became a local joke. The nightmare didn't end until a court order finally settled it two years later.

After that, I stopped believing in love. I thought even the most head-over-heels couples would end up hating each other.

But then Ford showed up and changed everything. We were each other's first loves.

He told me that the day I walked past him on campus, my smile stayed in his mind forever. He chased me for all four years of college.

No matter how many girls tried to get his attention, he only had eyes for me. He never gave up, even when I gave him the cold shoulder.

One night, after my part-time job, I was cornered in an alley by a group of thugs. Just when I thought things were over, Ford appeared.

He fought them like a madman. He was outnumbered and took a brutal beating.

The thugs only ran when they heard a police siren. I looked at his bruised and swollen face, and my heart finally melted.

I thought he was the exception to the rule. I wanted to believe there was at least one good man left.

Now I realize I was dreaming. I shouldn't have hoped for a miracle.

I remember telling Ford about my parents. He'd held me tight and promised he'd never be like my father.

"Jane, my only wife will ever be you," he'd whispered. For the first few years, he kept that promise.

He took me to every business event and introduced me proudly. He'd video call me every time he was away for work.

The other wives were so jealous of me. They thought I'd hit the jackpot.

But this perfect husband had a whole other life. He was taking care of a twenty-year-old girl named Sadie York in a secret apartment.

If I hadn't followed him one night when he said he was working late, I'd still be in the dark. And now, he expected me to be grateful.

Grateful that he kept his promise to keep me as his official wife? Grateful I wasn't the town joke?

I didn't care about being Mrs. Jameson. I didn't want the title anymore.

"Ms. Rhodes, the little life inside you is developing well. I know you've been preparing for this. Are you sure you want to go through with the procedure?"

The doctor sounded truly sorry. I looked at the tiny dot on the screen and felt like I was choking.

I forced back my tears and nodded firmly. I had wanted this child so much.

But I couldn't give it a whole family now. I didn't want any more ties to Ford.

The doctor sighed and scheduled the procedure. It wasn't as painful as I'd imagined; it felt more like waking up from a long nightmare.

As I was leaving with my medicine, I ran into Ford and his mistress, Sadie. Ford's face darkened when he saw the medication in my hand.

"Why didn't you tell me you were sick?" he asked, grabbing my arm. I looked at Sadie, who was clinging to his hand with a pouty face.

It was so pathetic. Men are so greedy.

They want the excitement of something new without the guilt of leaving their wives. They want it all.

I was just glad I'd seen his true face now before my life was completely ruined. I tried to pull away, but I was weak from the procedure.

Ford was busy playing the role of the concerned husband. During our struggle, my medical papers spilled all over the floor.

A bystander picked them up and read the top sheet. "Oh, dear. This girl just had a procedure to terminate a pregnancy. She should be resting."

Ford froze. He stared at the woman in disbelief. "What did you say?"

The woman handed the papers to him. "She just had the procedure. You two look like you know each other. You should call her husband. What kind of man lets his wife go through that alone?"