Chapter 1
Sarah Bolton's eyes flew open as a shrill woman's voice exploded in her ear.
"In-laws, it's your family's good fortune that Tommy is marrying your daughter. A three-bedroom apartment as a dowry, plus a 70,000-dollar car. Isn't that reasonable?"
Sarah jerked her head up.
Across from her sat a woman with permed curls and a big black mole at the corner of her mouth, legs crossed, fingers tapping the table, wearing an air of entitlement.
It was Maggie Irwin, the mother-in-law from her last life.
Beside her sat Tommy Houston in a suit, head down, scrolling through his phone, a faint smile tugging at his lips. It was the kind of smile that said he had her right where he wanted her.
Next to him was Callum Houston, feet kicked up, munching on pistachios and spitting the shells right onto the floor.
While spitting, he grinned and said, "Hey, Sarah, we're family now, right? My car's getting old. How about you hook me up with a new one sometime?"
It was like a thunderclap exploding in her mind.
Countless fragments of memories rushed in, overwhelming her.
She saw herself standing at the Houston family's door in that faded red sweater, Maggie pointing right at her nose and sneering, "You can't even give us a child, and you still have the nerve to eat here?"
She saw herself kneeling on the floor, scrubbing away, while Tommy walked by with another woman in his arms. He didn't even look her way.
She saw her parents, backs hunched, giving Maggie stacks of their retirement money. Her father said, "It's okay if we have to struggle, as long as our daughter is married off."
She saw that final snowy night.
Tommy had thrown her out, saying, "Sign the divorce papers and get out of here."
She had nowhere to go.
Maggie had smashed her phone ages ago, and she didn't have a single dollar to her name. Wearing nothing but a thin sweater, she crouched under the bridge, shivering.
Before she froze to death, all she could think was, 'Dad, Mom, I'm sorry. I was so stupid.'
*****
"Sarah? Sarah!"
Maggie's sharp voice yanked Sarah back.
Maggie said, "I'm talking to you! Why are you zoning out? So, are your folks on board with the apartment and the car? If they're not, this wedding isn't happening. There are tons of girls dying to marry my Tommy!"
Sarah slowly raised her head, deliberate and calm.
She took in Maggie's harsh, bitter face, Tommy's could n't-care-less look, and the mess of sunflower seed shells at Callum's feet.
Then she smiled.
"What did you say?" she asked.
Maggie Irwin frowned. "I said, you need to bring a three-bedroom apartment as a dowry, plus a 70,000-dollar car. Are you listening?"
"A three-bedroom apartment?" Sarah echoed, a bit stunned.
Maggie said, "Yep, three bedrooms. Anything smaller and we won't all fit. Your dad and I are moving in. Tommy's brother too. Everyone's coming. That's what being family means."
Sarah asked, "A 70,000-dollar car?"
Maggie replied, "Exactly, 70 thousand dollars. Not a single dollar less. With my son's looks and status, that's the bare minimum."
Sarah turned to Tommy. "So, you agree with all this too?"
Tommy finally looked up, flashing a gentle smile. "Sarah, my mom wants the best for us. The apartment and the car will both be in my name, and I'll take care of you. We'll build a good life together, trust me."
"Take care of me?" Sarah laughed out loud. "How much do you even make each month?"
Tommy's expression faltered. "Well, it's just the start. Things will get better."
Sarah answered for him, "One thousand dollars. You make one grand a month, blow five hundred on cigarettes, and another three hundred on treating friends.
"And you're left with two hundred dollars. What can you do with that? Take care of me? You can't even cover your own expenses."
Tommy's face turned red. "Sarah, what are you trying to say?"
"What I'm saying is—" Sarah stood up, grabbed the teacup from the table, and sneered, "You're fucking dreaming."
She splashed the coffee straight into Tommy's face.
Tommy jumped up and shouted, "Are you out of your mind?"
Sarah ignored him and turned to Maggie. "So you want a three-bedroom place? And a 70-thousand-dollar ride?"
She grabbed another cup and dumped it straight onto Maggie's face.
"You! You little brat!" Maggie screamed, wiping coffee off her face.
Sarah grabbed another teacup and turned to Callum.
Callum recoiled, panicking. "Come on, you're my sister-in-law. Don't—"
"I'm not your sister-in-law?" Sarah shot back.
Three cups, three people drenched.
The living room was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
Sarah's father, Robert Bolton, stood there, mouth hanging open, totally speechless. Her mother, Jasmine Huffman, stared at her daughter as if she were seeing a stranger.
"Sarah, what's gotten into you?" Jasmine asked, careful and hesitant.
Sarah turned to her parents, and tears streamed down her face.
She threw herself into her mother's arms. "Mom!"
Jasmine panicked. "Sweetheart, what's wrong? Did someone hurt you?"