Chapter 1

For five years, I supported Ethan Lester.

I worked endless hours as a freelance graphic designer, taking on every soul-crushing project I could find. Every dollar I earned went into our shared life, funding his dream of becoming a minimalist influencer.

He promised he would marry me. It was his way of thanking me after I nursed him back to health from a car accident that almost killed him.

But for the past few months, he had become a stranger.

He claimed he needed to spend his nights in deep "meditation sessions," so he slept in the spare room. He barely spoke to me, his eyes always distant, lost in some spiritual plane I couldn't access.

Then, I discovered the truth.

The money was gone. All of it. The twenty thousand dollars I had painstakingly saved to open my own design studio, my one dream for myself, had vanished from our joint account.

My hands shook as I scrolled through the bank statement on my phone. There was one single transaction: a donation to a high-stakes charity auction.

I knew instantly what it was for. His Instagram feed was full of it.

The prize: a "one-on-one private enlightenment weekend" with Sabrina, the wellness guru he was obsessed with.

Social media was already flooded with pictures. Ethan and Sabrina, looking serene and intimate on a sun-drenched beach. His arm was around her, a blissful smile on his face I hadn't seen in years.

The caption read: "Finding my true spiritual connection with the divine Sabrina. Some things are priceless."

My heart didn't just break. It turned to dust. Five years of my life, my work, my savings, all for a weekend with another woman, broadcast for the world to see.

My best friend and roommate, Nicole, stood beside me, her face tight with fury. "That's it, Maria. You're done. You have to be done."

I didn't cry. The shock was too deep, a cold numbness spreading through my veins.

I picked up my phone, my fingers moving with a strange sense of calm. I scrolled through my contacts until I found a name I hadn't called in years.

Andrew Scott.

My childhood friend from back home in Montana. The quiet, steady boy who had become a successful rancher.

The phone rang twice before he answered. His voice was deep and familiar, a comforting sound from a life I had left behind.

"Maria? Is everything okay?"

I took a breath, the words coming out flat and emotionless.

"Andrew, I'm leaving Ethan."

A pause on his end. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"I heard a rumor you can't have kids," I said, my voice unwavering. "I've always wanted a family. Marry me."

The silence on the line was absolute. I thought for a moment he had hung up.

Then, his voice came back, clear and firm.

"Okay, Maria. I will."

Two days later, a small package arrived. Inside was a heavy, antique silver belt buckle, intricately carved with images of the Montana landscape. A note was tucked inside, written in Andrew's strong, simple handwriting.

"This has been in my family for a hundred years. It's yours now. Come home."

I closed my fingers around the cool metal. It felt solid. Real.