Chapter 1

I'd been with Edward Grant for six years, and I'd spent every one of those years taking care of his dog.

But tonight, when I took Cookie out for a walk, she suddenly lunged into the arms of Edward's ex-girlfriend.

I didn't even have time to react before the leash yanked me to the ground.

I lost the baby. And somewhere on the way to the hospital, everything became painfully clear to me.

A dog that already had an owner would never truly bond with me, no matter how hard I try. People were the same way.

When I got home, I told Edward I wanted a divorce.

He frowned and stared at me like I'd lost my mind. "You want a divorce over a dog?"

"Yeah," I said. "Just a dog."

*****

When I set the divorce papers down in front of Edward, he looked at me like I was some freak.

He said, "Lily Thompson, what the hell is wrong with you now? You seriously want a divorce over a dog?"

The light drained from my eyes.

I stood there, staring at Edward's cold expression and Cookie baring her teeth at me from beside him.

When I didn't answer, Edward grabbed the papers and ripped them to shreds.

He jabbed a finger in my face and snapped, "Don't forget, you were the one who chased me. You begged me to marry you. And now you think you can just walk away? What about the six years I wasted on you?

"Cookie knocked you down. So what? Why are you making such a big deal out of it?"

He didn't know I was pregnant. I hadn't told him yet. I had been planning to surprise him on his birthday.

Six years of marriage, and we could never conceive. Our families constantly pressured us, and even Edward blamed me for it. I had choked down every pill and home remedy I could find, desperate to make it happen.

I wanted so badly to have Edward's child. I loved him down to my bones, and even when I was the one getting hurt, all I wanted was to stay by his side.

Cookie had been in the picture long before me. Edward and his ex, Rose White, had gotten the dog together.

I figured dogs were loyal creatures, so after the wedding, I poured everything I had into both Edward and that golden retriever.

I bathed her, walked her, and cooked her meals from scratch. I didn't want her to feel like she'd lost something just because her mom had changed.

I could say with a clear conscience that I had given Cookie more love and attention than Rose ever did.

I just never expected that a dog could be so disloyal. And neither could Edward.

On an ordinary afternoon, I took Cookie downstairs for a walk. Out of nowhere, Rose appeared at the entrance of our neighborhood, and Cookie caught her scent.

The dog lunged forward with everything she had, and I lost my footing. The leash yanked me off balance, and I was dragged across the ground.

Cookie pulled me for what felt like forever. My body scraped against the pavement, and cold sweat broke out across my skin.

The pain between my legs was unbearable, and a trail of blood stretched down the entire sidewalk behind me.

A stranger called 911 for me.

I didn't have the energy to wonder why Rose had shown up at our neighborhood, and I didn't bother questioning how Cookie still remembered her so well after all this time.

Funny how the dog had never once learned to shake hands, no matter how many years I spent trying to teach her.

The cruel irony came when Edward got the call from the hospital. He rushed in, but the first words out of his mouth weren't about whether I was hurt or how I was feeling.

Instead, he looked at me and demanded an answer. "Where's Cookie? I asked you to walk the dog, and you lost her?"

My head was spinning, and my lips were cracked and dry. Before I could even respond, Edward turned and ran back out of the hospital.

The doctor had been about to tell him, "Your wife had a miscarriage." But the words never made it past his lips.

I stared at Edward's retreating figure, and a bitter laugh caught in my throat. Six years of marriage, and this was what it all amounted to.