Chapter 1

1.

They took my uterus.

Seven months pregnant. My husband kicked me so hard the placenta detached. I hemorrhaged on the ice.

His reason? Someone told him I slapped his first love across the face.

My brother Marcus―the one person I had left in this world―found out and just stared at me with pure disgust.

"You deserved it. If you ever lay a hand on Olivia again, I'll make you regret it."

The hedge fund they ran together collapsed. They hung the CEO title on me and shoved me into federal prison.

Three years. Three years of hell inside those walls.

When I got out, I was done. No more hope. No more clinging to the shredded remains of love and family that had bled me dry.

But they had regrets. Oh, they had plenty of those.

***

Joseph Cross kicked me. Hard. My body hit the frozen driveway and I went down.

Wind carved into my face like a blade. My abdomen clenched―a deep, ripping contraction that stole my breath.

Something hot gushed between my legs. I couldn't tell if it was blood or amniotic fluid.

"Joseph―my stomach―something's wrong―I think I'm bleeding!"

I reached for him. He stood right there beside me.

He looked down at me from above. His mouth curled into a cold smile, like I was putting on some pathetic show.

"Oh, now you know what pain feels like? Did Olivia feel pain last year? When you made her miscarry―did she feel pain?"

"She never said a word against you. That's because she's a good person. But you?"

"It's her birthday. You threw that bastard child in her face, and then you had the audacity to hit her."

His eyes were ice. No mercy. None.

"I didn't―just let me explain!" I scrambled to stand. The ice was too slick. I slammed back down.

I crawled forward on the frozen ground, desperate, reaching for the hem of his coat. "Joseph, I'm not faking―my stomach really hurts―"

My fingers never touched him. Olivia, silent until now, stumbled back half a step. She pressed a hand to her temple and let out a delicate gasp. "Joseph… I feel so dizzy…"

His face changed instantly. He stared at my outstretched hand, smeared with dirty slush, like it was something foul. He didn't pull me up.

He kicked me away.

The sole of his shoe met my body with disgust. "Get away from her. Don't touch her with your filthy hands."

On that frozen driveway, the kick became a death sentence.

My body slid backward. A dull, sickening crack.

My lower back and belly slammed into the concrete snow barrier at the edge of the drive.

Something tore deep inside me. A ripping, obliterating pain that didn't stop. I couldn't breathe.

The heat between my legs spread faster, staining the snow beneath me red.

I clawed at the ice. My blood-smeared hand reached for him. "Joseph―please―the baby―get me to a hospital―save the baby―"

He stood there, Olivia cradled in his arms, staring down at me curled on the ground. No pity in his eyes. Just revulsion.

"Vanessa. Save the theatrics. You think a little fake blood and a sob story will make me forget what you did to Olivia?"

He snorted.

"Women like you―raised in trailer parks―you'll use any trick to get sympathy."

"I'm not faking―it's real―" My body shook uncontrollably. My vision blurred.

Through the haze, Olivia nestled against Joseph's chest. Her voice was soft, sweet. "Joseph, forget about her. I really do think I have a concussion…"

He didn't hesitate. He stripped off his coat and wrapped it around her. Scooped her into his arms.

His final words landed on me like a door slamming shut.

"Lie there and think about what you've done. Don't expect me to fall for this."

He strode toward the parking lot. He didn't look back. Not once.

Snow drifted into my eyes.

The cold seeped into my chest, reached my heart.

I couldn't hold on anymore. Everything went black.