Chapter 2

The air in the room felt thick, suffocating. My hands trembled holding that ridiculous agreement.   "So, this is what you think is fair?" I asked, my voice surprisingly steady.   Karen sniffed. "Fair? Ashley, life isn't fair. Kevin needs security. This baby needs security. My son has worked his fingers to the bone."   She conveniently forgot my parents paid for this apartment, for Kevin's online courses, for the car he drove.   Kevin wouldn't meet my eyes. He just stared at a spot on the wall, reciting his lines.   "Mom's right, Ash. It's for the best. For the family."   His family, apparently. Not ours.   A wave of nausea hit me, stronger this time. It wasn't just the pregnancy. It was them.   I remembered all the little things. Karen's "innocent" questions about my parents' businesses. Kevin's sudden interest in my trust fund, something I rarely thought about.   It was all a lead-up to this. A calculated plan.   My initial devastation was hardening into something else, something cold and sharp.   Anger. And a surprising, fierce desire to not just walk away, but to make them pay.   They valued money above all else? Fine. Let's talk money.   I took a deep breath, schooling my features into something resembling hurt confusion, not icy rage.   "Okay," I said softly. "Okay, I… I need to think about this. It's a lot."   Karen's eyes narrowed, suspicious. Kevin looked relieved.   "Of course, honey," he said, reaching for my hand. I let him take it. His touch felt like a spider crawling on my skin.   "But," I continued, pulling my hand away gently, "if we're going to do this, we should do it right. My parents… they're planning a baby shower for us. A big one. They were going to announce a gift then, to help us start our family."   I let that hang in the air. "A pretty generous gift. Money, maybe even a new car since this one's getting old."   Kevin's eyes lit up. Karen leaned forward, her cold demeanor cracking slightly.   "A gift?" she asked, a little too eagerly.   "Yes," I said, trying to look vulnerable. "It wouldn't feel right signing something like this before they give it. It might seem… ungrateful. Maybe we sign it right after the shower? Once we have the gift, and we know what we're working with for our future."   Kevin and Karen exchanged a quick, greedy glance. I saw it.   "That… that makes sense," Kevin said slowly, nodding.   Karen forced a smile. "Yes, dear. After the shower sounds perfect. Very considerate of you."   I felt a small, grim satisfaction. The hook was baited.   Later that night, I called Chloe, my best friend from college. She was a lawyer, sharp as a tack, and had never trusted Kevin.   "Chloe," I said, the words tumbling out, "you are not going to believe what these parasites just tried to pull."   I told her everything. The agreement, the demands, and Karen's sudden transformation.   Chloe listened, silent, until I was done.   Then she just said, "Okay, Ash. Don't sign a damn thing. But play along. We're going to burn them. And we're going to enjoy it."   Her voice was pure steel. It was exactly what I needed to hear.   The devastation was gone. Now, it was time for a plan.