Chapter 2

2.

Late at night, Lucas was sound asleep with his back to me. We lay in the same bed, yet it felt like the entire Hudson River separated us.

I couldn't help but open Rachel’s profile again.

It was filled with the typical "old money" lifestyle: summer parties in the Hamptons, skiing in Aspen, and endless brunch dates and golf courses.

I looked at my own feed. My last post was from six months ago.

After becoming a full-time housewife, my life was consumed by my husband, my child, and endless chores. I didn't even have time for hobbies, let alone a "curated life."

Rachel is the daughter of a long-time client of the Sterling family. A typical heiress―confident and privileged since birth.

And me? I’m Sarah Jenkins. A girl from a Rust Belt town in Ohio.

Where I’m from, the only future usually involves working at Walmart or getting married young. I only made it through the doors of an Ivy League school on a full-ride scholarship.

I graduated first in my class from Columbia Law School.

Senior year, I visited the Sterling family estate on Long Island for the first time. I was there as a scholarship recipient to thank their foundation.

That was the day I met Lucas.

He had just graduated from Wharton and was preparing to take over the family business. He was confident, decisive, and commanded attention just by standing there.

The second time we met, he came to the law school looking for me. He said it was love at first sight.

At the time, I thought it was just a rich boy’s joke. With his background, he could have any socialite he wanted.

I assumed I was just a novelty to him―a poor girl working late nights in the library to pay for textbooks. A new toy.

I deliberately acted cold, hoping he’d get bored and leave.

But he didn't give up.

Rain or shine, he came to the law school every day after work. He ate with me at cheap diners, stayed up with me in the library while I studied, and took me on weekend trips around New York.

One month, two months, half a year... eventually, my defenses crumbled.

We started dating.

I asked him to keep it a secret from his family until I passed the Bar Exam and got into a top Wall Street firm. I wanted to have the standing to be by his side before facing them.

So, we spent our final college days in secret. His care and attention made me think I was the luckiest woman in the world.

Later, I received an offer from the number one law firm in the country.

Full of confidence, I went with Lucas to meet his parents.

The result? The elder Sterlings were brutal. They demanded we break up.

The reason was simple: my background was too low. I wasn't fit to be a daughter-in-law of the Sterling family.

Just as I was about to give up, Lucas did something shocking.

He announced he was giving up his inheritance. He left home to start his own business.

He told me, "Sarah, I've never met anyone as full of life as you. You are the only real light in my world. Before, I only knew how to follow rules and be the perfect son. Meeting you gave my life meaning. Sarah, marry me..."

So, the moment I graduated, we got married at City Hall.

I gave up that enviable job offer to help him build his startup. I handled all the legal and operational work. Even when I was heavily pregnant, I flew everywhere with him to meet investors.

Lucas was talented. Within a year, our tech company took off, and our daughter, Lily, was born.

Lily was the proof of our love. Although we hired a nanny, I tried to do as much as I could myself.

Seeing me grow more exhausted by the day, Lucas looked at me with heartache.

"Sarah, I can't bear to see you work this hard. The company is stable now. The family needs you more. You are the soul of this home."

I fought it at first. I wasn't reconciled to the idea that after studying law for over a decade, I would end up trapped in a kitchen and a nursery.

But under Lucas's constant barrage of "I worry about you" and "do it for our family," I compromised.

I loved him, so I sacrificed.

I never imagined that my marriage began its march toward destruction the moment I nodded my head.