Chapter 1

At our Thanksgiving family dinner, Bennett brewed a mug of hot spiced ginger tea specifically for his stepsister.

This time, I didn't hold back. I smashed the cup onto the floor and demanded a divorce.

Bennett didn't know whether to laugh or get angry.

"Over a cup of tea?"

"Yes."

"Fine. Don't come crying back when you regret it."

We had been together for four years and married for two, yet his stepsister Cadence's shadow hung over every single corner of my life.

She was there on our dates, at movie nights, and even on our anniversaries.

After we got married, Bennett even set aside a dedicated bedroom just for her in our new home.

For her sake, Bennett had sidelined me over and over again.

This time, I was completely done putting up with it.

1.

As I slammed the front door shut, I could still hear Bennett barking from inside.

"Let her go! Such a spoiled brat, throwing a tantrum and screaming for divorce over something so trivial!"

"Who does she think she is pulling this runaway act? She doesn't know anyone in this city. Where could she possibly go? She'll come crawling back begging for forgiveness within three days."

My footsteps paused, a bitter pang stabbing through my chest.

Back then, I had moved across the country to this dry city just to be with Bennett. My parents had worried sick about me being mistreated.

Bennett had sworn up and down that wherever he was, that was my home. He promised he would never leave me stranded or helpless.

Now, all those sweet promises had turned into a sick joke.

The autumn wind blew past, carrying a biting chill.

Yet the cold outside was nothing compared to the ice freezing over my heart.

My phone suddenly buzzed in my hand. It was my mom.

"Corinne, happy Thanksgiving, sweetheart! Did you get the homemade meat pastries your dad and I sent? He woke up at dawn to get the fresh cuts and smoked egg yolks just for you!"

I had received them five days ago.

Only, before I could even open the box, Cadence had smashed it to pieces.

That day, I had just brought the delivery inside. I only turned my back for a minute to wash my hands.

When I walked back into the living room, the package was on the floor, the pastries pulverized into crumbs.

Cadence stood beside the mess looking helpless, while Bennett wore an unnatural frown.

Before I could even speak, Bennett jumped in to defend her.

"Cadence didn't mean to do it. Don't go blaming her."

Cadence looked up at me with timid, watery eyes.

"I just wanted to unpack it and see what was inside..."

Suppressing the simmering rage in my chest, I tried my best to keep my voice steady.

"Those were sent by my parents. Next time, don't touch my things without asking."

Cadence's eyes immediately rimmed red as she nodded obediently.

Bennett's face instantly darkened. He grabbed my wrist and dragged me straight into the bedroom.

"Didn't I tell you Cadence lost her father early? I told you not to bring up your parents in front of her! Why are you attacking her like that?"

"It's just a box of pastries. Do you really need to make such a massive deal out of it?"

When I wrenched my arm out of Bennett's grip, my wrist was already blotched with angry red marks.

"This isn't the first time she's done something like this."

Bennett looked at the marks on my wrist, and his tone softened slightly.

"Cadence is fragile and craves affection. As her older brother, I have to look out for her."

"You're her sister-in-law. Can't you stop acting like a child and pick fights with her?"

"Don't be mad anymore. Frowning makes you look ugly. How about I bake you some fresh ones from scratch in a couple of days to make it up to you?"

In the end, the matter was swept under the rug.

The promised compensation from Bennett never materialized.

Perhaps because I had stayed silent on the line for too long, my mom sensed something was off.

"Sweetheart, what happened? Did you and Bennett have a fight? Tell Mom what's wrong, and I'll give that boy a piece of my mind!"

All the accumulated grief surged straight to my throat, and tears spilled down my cheeks uncontrollably.

A thousand words choked in my throat, finally collapsing into a single sob.

"Mom... I want to come home."