Chapter 4

I knew the annual Montgomery family gathering would be difficult, but I hadn't anticipated just how much it would change everything. Mother had insisted we all attend, despite my reluctance to face both Grant and Mallory in the same room. With my pregnancy still my secret—a precious burden I carried alone—I'd dressed carefully in a flowing dress that concealed my small bump while trying to project a confidence I didn't feel.

I was arranging dessert plates in the dining room when Mallory cornered me, her eyes gleaming with malicious intent. She looked radiant in a tight emerald dress that highlighted…