Chapter 1

1

Five years after being welcomed into their fancy life, Chad, the adopted son, totaled my leg in a car crash.

My folks and Emily, my childhood sweetheart, lost it.

They rushed me to the ER, and when the doctor said I might be wheelchair-bound for life, Emily proposed right then and there.

She promised to take care of me forever.

My parents cut ties with Chad, demanding I hand over any evidence so they could deal with it.

They wanted me to focus on recovery.

Later, they said Chad panicked, ran, and accidentally drowned.

I bought it.

That is, until five years into my marriage, I saw Chad, the supposedly dead Chad.

He was holding my son, telling Emily how grateful he was.

"I couldn't have made it without you and your parents," he told her.

"Otherwise, I really might have been sent up the river."

"That cripple would never guess that the kid is mine, and your folks are in on it too. They shredded the evidence and switched his rehab meds with vitamins."

"Emily, I feel so bad that you had to marry that vegetable and act."

"Don't be silly, being his wife meant I could file releases, and keep you out of jail."

"As long as you're okay, my sacrifice is worth it."

Turns out, my marriage, my saving grace, was all a lie.

My own parents were helping the fake son, tricking me, hurting me.

Screw this, I'm out.

…

I watched Chad hugging my son, Emily and her family beaming.

The hospital lobby felt like someone had ripped my heart out.

My son, the light of my life, wasn't mine.

The woman who promised to love me forever loved the guy who almost killed me.

My own parents destroyed evidence, still didn't trust me, and pushed Emily to marry me.

That way, she could always keep Chad out of jail.

My phone rang, it was Mom.

"Danny, honey, why didn't you wait for us at the hospital? We're almost there, where are you?"

Hearing her fake concern made me furious.

My hand clenched into a fist, nails digging into my skin.

"Oh, I figured I couldn't keep bugging you forever, so I came on my own."

"We're family, you never bother us! Are you in the hospital? We're almost there!"

Mom and Dad were always there for my rehab appointments.

I thought it was love and worry, but now I saw the truth.

"Yeah, just got here. Heading into the main lobby."

I wheeled myself into a corner, making sure to be heard.

Sure enough, Mom and Dad got jumpy, telling me to stay put, it wasn't safe inside, they were close.

I hung up, stone-cold, and saw Emily pick up her phone.

She turned white, said something to Chad.

Then she snatched up my son and bolted out a side door, Chad disappearing into the crowd.

I knew it. Mom and Dad had called her.