Chapter 1

Three months into my pregnancy, a once-in-a-century polar vortex hit the East Coast.

My husband, Fletcher, was worried that his widowed sister-in-law, Brielle, couldn't survive the freeze alone.

He suggested she move in with us, and I agreed without a second thought.

I never imagined that on her very first day, she would demand I hand-wash her underwear.

I refused and warned her that if she kept acting up, I'd kick her out.

That night, Fletcher dragged me out into the freezing wind.

The world was a tomb of ice and snow, and within five minutes, a sharp pain tore through my abdomen.

I knelt in the snow, begging them to save my baby.

Fletcher, the man who used to be so gentle, watched me lose the life inside me with cold, indifferent eyes.

"Nova, you better learn your place," he sneered. "Next time, it won't be this simple."

It turned out Brielle had always been his true love, and I was just his stepping stone to a higher social class.

Now that he held all the resources, he no longer felt the need to crawl at my feet to please me.

But he forgot one thing: everything he had, I gave him.

I wanted to see how he'd survive without me.

I dialed my mother's number.

"Mom, I was wrong. I'm ready to get the divorce and join the National Weather Command Center."

"Once I leave, cut off all the resources and supplies to this district."

1

On the other end of the line, I heard my mother's relieved sigh.

She had never approved of me tying my life to a man like Fletcher, but I had been stubborn.

Thankfully, I woke up before it was truly too late.

Suddenly, my bedroom door was kicked open.

Fletcher walked in and tossed Brielle's lace underwear onto my bed.

"Stop acting like a brat and go wash these. Then we can put this little tantrum behind us."

I didn't even look at him.

Seeing my silence, Fletcher reached down and ripped the thin fleece blanket off my body.

The sudden chill pierced through me, making me shiver uncontrollably.

"Nova, stop playing dead. You just lost a baby; it's not going to kill you."

Every word felt like a jagged blade carving into my heart.

Before I could find my voice, Brielle pushed the door open, looking fragile and pathetic.

"I'm so sorry, Fletcher. This is all my fault."

"I shouldn't have come between you two. Maybe I should just leave."

She lowered her eyes, clutching her waist as she limped into the room, her face wet with tears.

The moment Fletcher looked at her, his expression softened instantly.

He rushed over to support her arm, his voice dripping with concern.

"Brielle, you're pregnant. You shouldn't be moving around like this."

The intimate name, the protective gesture―it all rubbed salt into my raw nerves.

So, he did know that a pregnant woman needed rest.

"Don't worry about her," he told her. "You stay here and be comfortable. I'll make sure she serves you from now on."

I bit my lip, gathering the last shred of my dignity to glare at the man I had loved for six years.

"Fletcher, you're dreaming. Me, serving her? Never going to happen."

"And this is my house. Get the hell out!"

Fletcher didn't expect me to snap back so fiercely, and for a second, he looked stunned.

Brielle turned pale, shooting a helpless look at Fletcher before breaking down into sobs.

"I'm so sorry! I'm leaving right now!"

She bolted for the door, and Fletcher immediately chased after her.

Before he left, he threw one last vicious glare my way.

"Nova, if anything happens to Brielle or her baby, I will make your life a living hell!"

I watched his retreating back until I had no strength left to stay upright.

The moment I collapsed onto the floor, my tears finally broke through the dam.

Fletcher and I met in college.

Back then, he was the untouchable golden boy of the Biology department, cold and mysterious.

Like many others, I was drawn to him, and I spent three years chasing him.

We eventually married despite my parents' fierce objections.

He came from nothing, his parents died young, and he kept hitting dead ends in his career because he lacked a network.

I hated seeing him struggle and admired his talent, so I secretly begged my parents to use their connections.

I got him into the top research unit in the city.

Under the spell of his sweet words, I even quit my own job to become his "supportive wife."

Everything changed the moment the polar vortex hit and he brought his "widowed" sister-in-law home.