Chapter 1
Zoe walked in by accident and found her husband, Stanley, with his widowed sister-in-law, Lillian.
When she confronted him, Stanley didn't even try to hide it. He just shrugged and said it was normal for a man to have a lover.
Zoe was furious. Hurt, angry, and desperate to get back at him, she slept with Stanley's best friend, Marty, that same night.
But the next day, she finally saw the truth. It had all been a setup, carefully planned by Stanley from the start.
He looked at her and said it flat out. Since they had both cheated, they were even now. She could keep her place as his wife, but his love would belong to Lillian.
Zoe lost control when she was treated as if she meant nothing. She grabbed his hand and bit down hard.
Stanley's face turned cold. Without a second thought, he broke her pinky finger and had her sent off to Tranquil Grace Academy to learn how to behave.
A year passed. With one week left before Zoe's twenty-fourth birthday, Stanley finally came to pick her up. And he brought Lillian with him.
*****
Zoe sat in the back seat of the Maybach.
Up front, her husband, Stanley, had turned sideways, leaning in to fasten the seatbelt for his widowed sister-in-law, Lillian.
His fingers paused the moment they brushed her collarbone.
Lillian lowered her head, her cheeks flushed, her voice barely above a whisper as she said, "Stanley, I can do it myself."
Stanley didn't pull away. He simply clicked the buckle into place. "Stay still."
They were so close that their foreheads almost touched.
Zoe watched them from the back seat.
She felt nothing inside.
It had been exactly three hundred and sixty-five days since they broke her left pinky and forced her into Tranquil Grace Academy.
There were only seven days left until her twenty-fourth birthday.
That was the day she planned to die.
The car merged onto the highway.
Lillian turned around, her eyes curving into a gentle smile, dimples showing. "Zoe, you've gotten so thin."
She reached for Zoe's left hand.
Her fingertips brushed over the twisted pinky. Her eyes instantly reddened. "Oh my god! What happened? You must have suffered so much at Tranquil Grace Academy. It hurts just thinking about it."
Her voice trembled. Anyone who didn't know better would think she was the kindest person in the world.
Zoe lowered her eyes to the hand resting on hers.
Lillian's nails were perfectly shaped and painted a soft pink. On her ring finger was an emerald ring.
Zoe recognized that ring instantly.
It had belonged to Stanley's mother.
It was meant for the wife of the Thornton family.
Now it was on Lillian's hand.
Zoe slowly pulled her hand back, tucking it into her sleeve. "I didn't suffer, Lillian. The teachers there were very good to me."
Her voice came out rough and dry. After a year of barely speaking, even forming words felt unfamiliar.
Stanley glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "A year should've been enough to teach you how to behave, right?"
Zoe looked up and caught his gaze in the mirror.
Stanley was thirty-one, his features sharp, his jawline cutting like a blade.
A year ago, she used to think he was the best-looking guy on earth.
Now, just looking at him made her stomach churn, a wave of nausea rising up.
"Yeah, I learned," she said.
He let out a short, cold laugh. "You'd better have. If you haven't dropped those bad habits, I don't mind sending you back for another year."
Lillian quickly grabbed Stanley's arm. "Stanley, don't scare Zoe. She just got back. You shouldn't say things like that."
Stanley patted the back of her hand. "You're too soft."
Lillian whispered, "Zoe is your wife. She's family to me. Of course I care about her."
Zoe sat in the back seat, listening to their well-rehearsed routine, her mind numb to their fake concern.
Her gaze dropped to the faded, worn dress on her lap.
It had all started a year ago, in April, at the Thornton family house.
Zoe came home early from work, hoping to surprise Stanley.
She'd bought his favorite wine and a bouquet of flowers, planning to visit his parents' graves together.
Stanley's parents had both died in a car accident five years ago.
His older brother, Luke, died in the same accident, leaving behind his young widow, Lillian, and the entire Thornton empire.
Stanley took over everything, including taking care of Lillian.
Back then, Zoe thought that made him responsible. She had even suggested Lillian move in with them so they could look after her better.
That afternoon, with all the maids off for the day, Zoe pushed open the study door.
What she saw made her freeze. Lillian was sitting on Stanley's lap.
Their lips were locked in a kiss.
The wine bottle slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor, dark red splashing across her dress.
Stanley looked up at her, his expression cold, almost annoyed. "You're home early."
A rush of blood went straight to Zoe's head, her temples pounding hard.