Chapter 1
The night I returned to my hometown, I was drugged at the hotel.
When I came to, my body was covered in bruises. The sheets were tangled and torn, and the men were already gone without a trace.
I reached out to my fiancé, Jude Levine, for help. Instead, he texted me back:
[My mom said a woman who's been through something like this is a disgrace. The Levine family can't afford the scandal. The engagement is off. Don't contact me again.]
Three days later, he posted his engagement photos on his Instagram story.
The woman smiling softly beside him was my younger sister—the one who had always been adored and surrounded by attention since childhood.
When I was on the edge of ending everything, Connor Shaw knocked on my door.
He carefully held a bowl of hot soup, his eyes red as if he'd been fighting back tears.
"I heard everything," he said awkwardly. "But I don't care. If you… If you've got nowhere to go, come home with me. I'll take care of you."
I nodded, trembling as I cried.
After we got married, I used all my savings and connections to help him secure a small construction contract in the county.
Day by day, things got better, and I got pregnant.
I thought maybe the universe was finally going to show me some mercy.
Until yesterday, Jude came over for dinner.
"You actually married her? And she's pregnant now?
"If she ever finds out what happened back then in Juville… that it was you who arranged for those guys—"
Connor froze.
"I only did it for Queen, but now I'm trying my best to make things right. That should count for something." Connor said.
The bedroom door was slightly ajar, and their icy voices carried every word straight to my ears.
I froze, and the fruit plate I was about to bring in dropped from my hands.
The plate crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces with a loud bang.
The conversation inside came to an abrupt halt.
But I couldn't focus on any of that. The memory of that night flooded my mind like a rising tide.
The fear that hit me when I woke up after the drugs wore off, my body aching as if it had been shattered, the glaring marks on the sheets, and those thugs who had already disappeared without a trace.
I bit down hard on my lip as my heart pounded in my chest, my stomach twisting into knots.
Swallowing back the nausea, I stumbled into the kitchen, clinging to the wall as I dry heaved.
Nothing came out, but the tears came before anything else.
The kitchen door swung open, and Connor stood there. The moment he saw me, his face went pale.
"Tess..." he called out.
He walked over and patted my back, his voice as gentle as ever. "What's wrong? Is it morning sickness again?"
I looked up, my vision blurred by tears, at the man who had sworn just days ago that he would love me forever.
I almost asked him how he could pretend so convincingly.
But I didn't say a word. I just pushed him away and leaned over the sink, throwing up again.
Connor's expression stiffened. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "Tess, I thought I heard the door open just now. Was that you? When did you get here? Why didn't you say anything?"
My heart skipped a beat.
"I just got here... I was about to open the door, but my hand slipped, and I couldn't hold onto the fruit plate..."
He seemed to relax a little. "Alright, just be more careful next time."
Just then, Jude walked out of the room and leaned against the doorframe.
"Why are you throwing up in the kitchen? That's bad luck," he said.
"If you're gonna puke, do it in the bathroom. Who knows if that baby is even Connor's? You don't want people saying you messed up the Shaw family's kitchen with someone else's kid," he added.
Connor frowned. "Jude, that's enough."
"Am I wrong? Connor, you know what happened back then. She was assaulted by those thugs..." Jude said.
"Enough!" I shouted, my hands trembling at my sides.
Jude shrugged and fell silent.
I turned to Connor and asked, "Is that what you think too?"
He froze for a moment, then mumbled awkwardly, "Tess, don't overthink it. I've never thought that way about you."
Even though it was just a split second, I noticed a flash of impatience in his eyes.
Just then, his phone rang.
I glanced over, and the name "Queen" popped up on the screen.
His face visibly relaxed when he saw it, and his voice became noticeably lighter as he answered.
"Queen? Yeah, I'm here, just talking with Jude... Okay, we'll head over right now," he said.
He hung up and gave my shoulder a quick pat.
"Queen's got something going on, so Jude and I are heading over. Get some sleep, don't wait up for me," he said.
Then he walked out without even looking back.
As Jude passed by, he shot me a smug, mocking grin.
Now it was just me in the kitchen.
I scooped up some water and splashed it on my face. The icy water sent a shiver through me.
*****