Chapter 1

I had my eye on a villa, total price: 1.8 million dollars.

On the day I paid, the sales lady handed me the contract.

I glanced at it, and in the owner's section, clear as day, was the name: Adam Olsen.

That was my brother-in-law Adam.

My wife, Cassie, nudged me. "Hurry up and sign. Adam wants to post it on his social media."

I put down the pen and looked at her. "You make one million dollars a year, and you're not paying a cent?"

She shot back, "My money is mine. Your money is for the family."

I laughed, my eyes cold as ice. "Saving up all that cash for your next marriage?"

The whole place went dead silent.

*****

The sales lady's smile was sweet.

She slid the purchase contract over to me.

"Mr. Wade, please take a look. If everything's in order, you can sign here," she said.

I picked up the pen and flipped to the owner's information page.

There was just a name, Adam Olsen.

The pen hovered over the paper. I just couldn't bring myself to sign.

Adam was my brother-in-law. I was the one paying, but the house was in his name.

Cassie, my wife, nudged me with her elbow.

"Stop spacing out and sign already," she whispered.

She kept her voice low, but you could hear the urgency. "Adam's waiting to take a picture and post it on his social media."

I didn't move.

The sales lady's smile turned awkward. She looked at me, then at Cassie.

The room fell silent.

The villa was a detached house with its own little garden. I'd been eyeing it for more than a month.

The total price was 1.8 million dollars. I was ready to pay the whole amount up front.

I put the pen down. The pen made a soft tap against the table.

I looked up at Cassie, meeting her eyes.

Her makeup was flawless, and she carried the scent of a high-end woodsy fragrance.

"You make one million dollars a year, and you're not paying a cent?" I asked her.

Cassie's expression changed immediately. She looked pissed, like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on.

"Jacob, what's that supposed to mean?" Cassie shot back.

Her voice got louder. "My money is mine, your money is for the family. We agreed on that ages ago, didn't we?"

She said it like it was just common sense. Like it was the law of the universe or something.

The sales lady kept her head down, pretending to shuffle papers, but she was clearly listening in.

Customers at the nearby tables were casting curious glances our way.

I laughed and looked at her gorgeous face. Right then, her eyes were wide with shock and a flash of anger.

My voice wasn't loud, but it was crystal clear. "Saving up all that cash for your next marriage?"

The whole sales hall went dead silent, like someone had hit the mute button.

All the chatter, the background music, everything just vanished in an instant.

Cassie was utterly stunned. Her face turned from red to pale.

She opened her mouth, but not a single word came out. She looked like a fish out of water.

The sales lady's hand froze mid-air, and her eyes widened.

I stood up and straightened the hem of my suit.

"I'm not buying this house," I told the sales lady.

She opened her mouth, as if to stop me.

But I didn't let her get a word in. I turned and headed straight for the door.

Behind me, there was dead silence.

I'd only taken a few steps when Cassie's scream rang out behind me.

"Jacob! Stop right there!" she yelled.

I didn't stop. I walked straight out through the glass doors. The sunlight outside was harsh.

I pulled out my car keys and pressed the button. Not far away, my car beeped in response.

Cassie came running after me, her high heels clicking urgently on the ground.

She grabbed my arm.

She demanded, "Don't you walk away! Explain yourself! Why are you humiliating me in front of all these people?"

Her grip was fierce, her nails practically digging into my arm.

I turned to look at her. Under the sun, her face was twisted with fury.

"Which part was humiliating? Which part wasn't true?" I shot back.

She froze.

I continued, "I make one million a year, and I'm buying your brother a 1.8 million dollar house for his wedding, and the deed's in his name."

I looked her straight in the eye.

I asked, "You make one million dollars a year, haven't contributed a dime, and you're still rushing me to cough up the money. Cassie, is it you who's lost your mind, or is it me?"

Cassie's lips quivered. She looked like she was about to say something, but the words just wouldn't come.

I pulled my arm free. I used a little force, making her stumble.

"Jacob, you've changed. You used to be different." Cassie finally spoke up, her voice shaky.

I opened the car door and admitted, "Yeah. I used to be foolish."

Then, I slid into the driver's seat and shut the door.

Through the window, I could see the disbelief written all over her face.

I fired up the engine.

Without looking back, I pulled out of the parking lot.

Her figure was shrinking in the rearview mirror. Before long, she was nothing but a blurry white dot.

I rolled down the window, letting the wind rush in. The weight on my chest started to fade.

My phone rang. The name "Honey" popped up on the screen.