Chapter 1

My foster sister, Wanda Lane, just got accepted into college, so our whole family got together for a big celebratory dinner.

At the dinner table, my mom kept piling food onto my husband Michael Grant's plate. "Michael, you've worked so hard. We really owe you for everything you've done for our family these past years."

Michael smiled as he accepted the food, and then glanced over at me. "It's the least I can do. Wanda's always treated me so well. I could never turn my back on her."

I thought he was being polite.

But after dinner, as he was driving me home, he suddenly said, "I pulled some strings to get Wanda into that college."

I nodded. I already knew about it.

He lit a cigarette, his voice lazy as smoke curled around us. "Your mom actually begged me three times, but I didn't budge.

"Then, on Wanda's coming-of-age ceremony, she came to me herself and said she was willing to pay me back in another way."

My mind went blank.

He blew out a puff of smoke, lingering on the memory. "Wanda is pretty mature for her age. She doesn't cry like you do."

My heart lurched, and I slapped him hard across the face. "Michael, you bastard!"

My voice shook, tears welling up in my eyes. "Wanda is my sister! How could you do that?"

Michael's smile faded, but he didn't get angry. "After those punks assaulted you back then, I still didn't mind being with you. Isn't Wanda better than you?

"And after your dad died, wasn't I the one holding this family together, paying for everything and doing all the work? Isn't this the least I deserve?"

I stared at him in disbelief. "What the hell did you say?"

In that moment, I felt like my blood froze solid.

Eight years ago, I was assaulted. My dad, desperate to avenge me, lost control and killed the entire family of the man who hurt me.

Back then, Michael was just a rookie lawyer. He stood up to everyone, found evidence, challenged every argument, and managed to get my dad acquitted of murder, so he could be buried with dignity.

He was the one who knew the truth better than anyone, and the one who truly understood all the pain I'd endured.

Michael didn't even blink. He pulled a plastic bag from the backseat and threw it onto my lap.

Inside was a pair of pale cotton panties, smeared with dark red blood. This scene stung my eyes.

Michael's voice was cold as ice. "That day, she'd just come of age. It was her first time with a man. She was hurting so bad that she could barely stand up when she got home.

"You thought it was period cramps and made her some soup. Don't forget to wash these and return them to her."

At that moment, I couldn't hold back my tears anymore.

I gritted my teeth and forced out each word. "Michael, we're getting a divorce."

Michael sneered, like I'd just told him a joke, and grabbed my chin. "Divorce? So the kid you're carrying ends up just like you, someone without its father?"

I jolted, and my hand instinctively went to my belly.

The emotional blow hit so hard that I actually forgot that I was six weeks pregnant.

Michael released my chin, his voice drifting back to that careless tone. "If you're done, head upstairs. Turn in early. You've got a prenatal checkup tomorrow."

I shoved the car door open and nearly bolted into the hallway, desperate to escape.

In the elevator, I stared at those bloodstained panties for ages, and my stomach was in knots.

When I opened the door, I saw Wanda sitting on the couch in the living room.

She was wearing the white dress I'd bought her last year, clutching her phone, her eyes puffy and red.

It seemed like Michael had told her.

When she saw the plastic bag in my hand, her tears spilled instantly.

The next second, she fell to the ground with a thud in front of me. "I'm so sorry, Grace. I wasn't thinking straight..."

She pressed her forehead to the floor, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably as she sobbed so hard that it sounded like her heart was breaking.

I stood there, numb, staring at the little sister I'd loved and protected since we were kids. It felt like my heart was being ripped apart.

"Wanda, haven't I always treated you well?" I choked out. "Back when you were bullied at the orphanage, I brought you home, bought you new clothes, and paid for your school.

"I treated you like my own sister. So why did you have to take my man? Why did you have to destroy my family?"

Wanda finally looked up, her face streaked with tears. "Grace, I know Michael is your husband, and I know it's wrong. But he helped me so much, and I didn't know how else to repay him.

"He said he just wanted to know what it felt like to get laid with a virgin, just once. I was already an adult back then, and I just... made a stupid mistake."

I couldn't even feel the pain in my chest anymore. I tossed the panties onto the floor. "Pack your things and get the hell out of my house. I never want to see you again."

Wanda froze for a moment, whispered "I'm sorry", then scrambled to her feet and darted aside.

With a dull thud, she crashed her belly into the solid coffee table.

She let out a blood-curdling scream, and then collapsed to the floor, clutching her belly as she broke out in a cold sweat. A dark red patch started to seep through the hem of her dress.

"Wanda!" My heart nearly stopped. I rushed over, scrambling to catch her.

"Grace, I'm so sorry. This baby... It's Michael's. It shouldn't have existed..." Wanda gasped, her voice barely a whisper, tears pouring down her face.

Behind me, I heard the sound of a cup smashing to the floor.

I turned around in disbelief and saw my mom standing there, her face white as a sheet.

My heart skipped a beat. Mom had a heart condition. She couldn't take this kind of shock. But she'd heard every word.

The next second, Mom grabbed at her chest, her breathing growing more and more labored.

Before I could say a word, she suddenly blacked out and collapsed, falling hard to the floor.

"Mom!" I screamed, lunging toward her.

In the chaos, I dialed 911.

The ambulance sped off, taking Wanda and Mom to the hospital.

Sitting in the ambulance, I felt like I was falling into an endless abyss.