Chapter 1

I had been married to Garrett Cole for eight years.

Grandma was critically ill and urgently needed surgery.

My mother scrounged everywhere she could, but she was still fifteen thousand dollars short.

Desperate, I had no choice but to swallow my pride and ask Garrett for help.

“Garrett, my mom is fifteen thousand dollars short for Grandma’s surgery. Could you...”

Before I could finish, he cut me off with an irritated sneer.

“You live under my roof and eat my food, and now you want my hard-earned money to support your worthless family?”

I gripped my phone, desperate to wire my last bit of personal savings to my mother, only to find my bank account completely frozen.

Pale-faced, I went to confront him.

He only gave me a careless shrug. “I temporarily locked your accounts so you wouldn't waste money. I’ll give you access later.”

I spent the rest of the day frantically begging everyone I knew for a loan.

Meanwhile, social media exploded with viral news―Garrett had just bought a three-million-dollar diamond ring to publicly declare his love for his new mistress.

1.

When my screen finally flashed “Transfer Successful”, I let out a shaky breath.

With trembling hands, I dialed my mother’s number.

“Mom, I just sent the money. Please check your account...”

Before I could finish, my mother broke into muffled, heartbroken sobs.

“Why did you take so long! Your husband is filthy rich, yet you stalled over saving a life!”

“Your grandmother is gone.”

Her choked voice hit me like a physical blow. My heart plummeted into a dark void.

She wept as she told me that Grandma’s condition had taken a turn for the worse days ago.

Grandma had deliberately kept it a secret from me, terrified of becoming a burden to my marriage.

“You married rich, and we never expected anything from you! But she was your grandmother!”

“Your father died early, and I raised you alone. Grandma was the only reason I made it through those brutal years.”

“Mom, please stop...” I choked on my tears, my heart tearing to shreds.

“Nora,” Mom’s voice dropped into a chilling, hollow calm.

“Don’t bother coming home anymore. I’ll just pretend I never had a daughter. Go back and enjoy playing the rich Mrs. Cole...”

Her words crushed whatever was left of my spirit.

I could never bring myself to tell her the truth―that in this luxury mansion, I was only given a strict grocery allowance.

“Mom...”

The line went dead. My tears spilled over uncontrollably.