Chapter 2

2

Mrs. Quinn glared at me like a dog guarding a bone and moved the pot roast even further away.

Logan’s brow furrowed, but he didn't show a hint of concern for my burned hand.

Instead, he pushed a small plate of roasted peanuts toward me.

“Willa, Mom roasted these peanuts just for you. You love these. Eat this instead.”

The truth was, I didn't even like peanuts. Years ago, when things were tough and food was scarce, Logan used to bring me handfuls of peanuts from the fields.

He brought them to satisfy my hunger, and over time, he just assumed they were my favorite.

I didn't touch the plate.

Bianca stood up immediately, looking at Logan with an apologetic face.

“Logan, maybe I shouldn't have come over for dinner?”

“It seems like Willa isn't very happy to see me. I should probably just go.”

Seeing Bianca like this made Logan’s expression darken with annoyance.

“Willa, Bianca is a guest today. Why do you have to fight her for a piece of meat?”

“I wasn't―”

Before I could finish, Mrs. Quinn had already grabbed Bianca’s hand to stop her from leaving.

“Nonsense! You are always welcome here, dear!”

“If anyone should leave, it’s the person who spends all day rolling around with pigs. What a disgrace.”

Quincy chimed in immediately.

“Yeah! I like Auntie Bianca way more. I wish she could be my mom instead.”

Logan’s voice dropped an octave. “Quincy!”

The boy burst into tears, and Mrs. Quinn began to comfort him while shooting me a look of pure disgust.

“Don't cry, my sweet grandson. It’s not your fault you have a mother like this. You’re the one who suffers the embarrassment!”

“His father is a high-ranking officer, but his mother is a pig farmer. The whole neighborhood is laughing at us.”

Listening to the words coming out of Quincy’s mouth, a sharp pain pierced my heart.

I could ignore the insults from others, but this was the child I had carefully raised and loved.

When I gave birth to him, I was malnourished and didn't have enough milk.

I spent my recovery time working at the facility just so I could earn a few extra scraps of meat to boost my milk supply.

Now, I was listening to him talk about how much he hated me and how he wanted someone else to be his mother.

This time, I didn't brush it off as a child’s mindless chatter. I didn't stay silent.

I looked him straight in the eyes and said, “Fine. Go ahead and let Bianca be your mother.”

Then, I grabbed the entire plate of pot roast and dumped it into my bowl.

Ignoring Mrs. Quinn’s cries about me being a disrespectful daughter-in-law, I walked straight to my room.

The livestock facility gave us monthly meat allowances. You could buy meat without using government rations.

If I hadn't come home early, I never would have known that the meat I had earned was being fed to Bianca.

I sat there and ate several large pieces of the savory beef.

The rich, fatty flavor filled my mouth, but my nose began to sting with unshed tears.

Logan and I had met when his unit was stationed near my village.

Back then, I had just taken over the family business, helping sows deliver piglets at the local farm.

Because of the nature of my job, people often looked down on me and thought I was dirty.

Most people didn't want to be around me, but Logan was different.

He said that all work was honorable and that he thought I was amazing for what I did.

He never got bored listening to me talk about livestock genetics and postnatal care, even though he didn't understand a word of it.

In the quiet days spent together, I fell for him.

Back then, he was willing to do anything just to win my approval.

But this man, who had loved me for seven years, changed the moment Bianca was transferred to the base.

One day, I went to the base to deliver some meat and accidentally overheard him talking to a colleague.

“Willa is just a pig farmer, after all. How can she compare to Bianca?”

“She’s just the mother of my child. Bianca is the only one I’ve ever truly loved.”

In that moment, hearing Logan repeat the very insults others used against me, I couldn't lie to myself anymore.

A man’s love can be faked, but the truth always comes out.

That was when I learned that he and Bianca had been childhood sweethearts.

They only lost contact because Bianca’s family refused to let her follow him into a military life.